Magic, not materia
by DoodlingPlume
Summary: Cloud was here only for a few minutes, but he can definitely tell something is not right. These kids had Denzel's age and were threatening to kill each other through inefficient summons, waving sticks, and dangerous items. What was wrong with them?
1. Chapter 1

"Please sign here-"

Cloud raised his eyes and blinked. Where in the world was he? Gone were the busy WRO suits in the lobby and the tired looking receptionist who was supposed to accept the delivery.

Instead, he found himself in a big, dark, cavernous temple filled with the stench of old moss and decay. He sneezed once.

He sighed. If this was like _that _time where he ended up in a 'fight-for-all' stage with giant hands, stout plumbers, and colourful and fluffy creatures, then this was a new stage. Or if this was like that _another_ time when he was pulled into an ongoing cosmic war with yellow dragons, manikins, and a not dead _Sephiroth_, then this was _also _a new stage, or a memory world that wasn't his.

Cloud decided to wait. If this was like any of those situations, then the foe/adversary/manikin would appear sooner or later and challenge him to a duel/smash/fight or whatever they called it. He idly rifled through the delivery slips, checking those that were still incomplete, and those that were done.

Hmm. Higher demand for Chocobo greens with the expansion of the Chocobo Farm and the racing tracks. Stock up on X-potions order for an Edge weapon shop. A delivery to Rocket Town regarding some fragile items.

He tucked the clipboard under his arm to check the PHS. 15 minutes. Nothing. This stage was taking longer to spawn enemies, at least. He expected fanfare, confetti and glitter with the announcement of a 'new challenger approaching', or the sudden drop in atmospheric pressure and the sense of _wrongness_ when a manikin bumbled by.

But nothing so far.

Cloud sighed again, and started walking down the long corridor. Maybe this was an event, where he _had _to walk upon a certain threshold for something to happen. His heavy footsteps were unnaturally loud in the dark place, and the occasional drip of water from the ceiling didn't help with the eerie atmosphere.

He stopped when the distant sound of talking and hissing reached his ears.

Oh, there it is. Event threshold.

Cloud quickened his pace until he came across a cavern carved to resemble the head of a man and a giant serpent slithering out of its mouth. There were kids stumbling around, a probably dead one over there, and a bigger kid smugly posing, and an old hat being trampled on by the harried footsteps.

_What _was going on?

His musings were cut short when the serpent reared its head and hissed menacingly, and Cloud locked eyes with it. Ribbon tightened and his body tingled, which meant that status effects were on the table, and Cloud threw away his clipboard and unsheathed First Tsurugi in a smooth motion, readying for battle.

"Wait, who are you-"

"Don't stare at its eyes!"

"Where did he come from?"

The sudden babble of panicked voices just became background noise, and Cloud leaped with his sword ready. The serpent reared its head to strike, but Midgar Zoloms were bigger and nastier than this smaller breed. He effortlessly sidestepped the lunge of its jaws, and clipped it with a quick slash of his sword. Not enough weight put behind his attack to do serious damage, but effective to make it mad.

He stopped the lash of its tail with the flat of his blade and went flying, but he oriented himself and used the walls as a springboard to jump at it again.

The kids were throwing brightly coloured flashes of light at the monster with a stick, but immediately dove away when the serpent changed its focus to them. Smart kids. He cast All-Barrier on them, and the magic shimmered translucently under the weak light of the cavern. Were they using a stick as a weapon? Where were the materia slots on those twigs? Even Aerith's smallest staff was tall enough to reach her chest-height.

"Don't look at its eyes it will kill you, uh, sir, whoa-!"

The black, curly haired kid shouted at him, and barely managed to run behind stone pillars as the mini Zolom struck out with its tail again. He was waving a silver sword with his stick, and it looked like he had absolutely no idea how to use the weapon. Cloud bit back another small sigh.

So the monster could cast Death Sentence and he had kids with no training with a weapon. Wonderful.

"Stay away!" he barked, and pulled out one of the smaller blades from First Tsurugi, and dove under another mouthful lunge, and jumped on top of its scaly head. The serpent shook itself furiously, but Cloud used the upjump and in a whirl of black and flashes of steel, gouged out the monster's eyes.

"No!", the posh kid screamed, and Cloud rejoined his blades. What was the deal with that kid?

The beast, blinded and dripping with blood and venom, shook itself lashing out wildly. Cloud deliberated a second regarding using a Summon to end the fight quickly, but then decided against it. Whatever he pulled from the Master Summon materia would have been overkill, and would probably bring down the entire cave on them.

His limit break was close anyway.

And right on time. Energy pooled inside him, and Cloud let it loose in a high jump and brought First Tsurugi down on top of the beast's head, the energy cutting through the scales, muscle, and bone and tearing a claw-like rend on the floor.

The monster's decapitated head fell with a loud thud, reverberating inside the cavern like a loud gong and Cloud flicked away the blood and serpent flesh from his blade before clipping it to its sheath. The rest of the body followed, falling limply behind its severed head shedding scales and smelling of burnt flesh.

The ringing silence after was just more foreboding than before.

"NO!"

"Yes!"

The sudden outbreak of voices startled Cloud out of his post-battle reverie, and he looked around. The two kids darting around had come out of their hiding spots and were babbling excitedly, and the posh kid looked like he was about to faint. And speaking of which-

He made to the slumped kid, and checked her pulse. Weak, getting weaker.

"Ginny!"

The two kids broke out from their excited chatter and scrambled next to him, and the ginger-haired boy waved his snapped twig in the air. "I-I don't know any healing spells!" The other one dropped his sword to the floor and looked desperately at Cloud.

"Can you help her? Please! She is dying!"

He was about to reply when the smooth voice cut in. "Too late. I have her now." Cloud looked up to see the aristocratic kid smirk. "What do you mean?" he asked, and the two kids from before started babbling.

"That's Voldem-"

"He's killing Ginny-"

"He tried to _kill _us!"

"He doesn't die-"

"The notebook!"

He waved his hands in an attempt to calm them down. Undying? Killing others? That sounded unfortunately like a certain nemesis he knew. And this kid was what, seventeen? Sixteen? A bit early to start, in his opinion.

"So, you used a Vampire Fang on this kid?" If he was casting Drain on her, then this was the obvious explanation.

The kid just remained quiet, neither confirming nor denying it. The air of smug superiority still remained though, and Cloud bit back another sigh. He acted like a brattier version of Rufus, and Cloud did not have the energy nor the patience to deal with him so he shifted his attention on the girl in front of him.

Cloud focused on the materia slotted in his bracer, and cast the strongest Esuna on the slumped girl. Then Life2. The cavern was illuminated with the bright glow of Phoenix Downs falling on the floor, and the winged figures descending from the sky, and the girl, Ginny? gasped and shot up from her position.

"What did you _do_?" The now not so smug kid growled half in anger and half in astonishment, and his subsequent question was lost in the wake of excited chattering of the kids hugging and smiling.

It was cute. Cloud felt a smile twitch in his lips, and stood up dusting his pants. The red haired boy helped the equally red-haired girl up -brothers and sisters, Cloud decided- and the curly kid followed suit, clutching the silver sword and the stick again and pointing it at the now wary bratty Rufus wannabe. The kids glared at each other, their tension mounting, and Cloud was tired of standing around a damp, disgusting cavern with the remains of a beheaded serpent _not _disappearing into the Lifestream.

"Right. Moving on." Cloud muttered, and picked up the clipboard he had thrown away before the fight, -Thank Shiva it was undamaged, the re-filing claims would have been a nightmare-, and picked up the small black notebook that was also lying a few steps away.

Suddenly, the ginger girl broke away from the boys and snatched the notebook from his hands. She ran and grabbed one of the chipped fangs of the serpent, and with an angry yell, plunged the tooth into the notebook.

The tall boy screamed in pain, and the notebook started oozing black. She screamed angrily, and stabbed the notebook again and again, with the boy started gaining fractures of light, falling down in agony.

Cloud, alarmed, stopped the kid from plunging the tooth once more, snatching her wrist.

"What are you _doing_?"

"Let go! He started _everything_!" If the venom in her voiced surprised him, he didn't comment on it.

She struggled, and Cloud let her go but grabbed the almost ruined notebook out of her reach. The two other kids also looked flabbergasted by his actions, and the curled up cracked boy coughed and shakily stood up.

Cloud had seen stranger things than a glowing boy, so he just cast a quick glance to see he was not dead yet, and turned his attention to the younger trio.

"Nobody is going to kill anybody else, until things settle down. Alright?" Gaia, these kids were Denzel's age, and were threatening each other with death already. What was _wrong_ with them?

He wiped away the drooling notebook with a slight grimace, and clipped it to the clipboard along with his delivery slips. There. No sudden snatchings or forgetting its existence now.

Cloud looked at them, and they shuffled awkwardly. Some still seething with righteous anger, and some others more subdued. They all looked tired and worn out. He cast All-Cure3 on them, and they immediately looked invigorated, even the fractured kid still keeping his distance. The notebook felt warm under his arm.

"Was that wandless magic?" the freckled boy asked, and the rest leaned in with interest, even the girl sullenly tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I've never seen magic pull someone from death before!" _that _comment made the tall boy also whip his head around and stare at him with unnerving intensity. Cloud felt uncomfortable with the sudden interest of the kids, so he just shrugged.

"I can answer your questions later. But introductions first?" He was tired of calling them ginger boy, ginger girl, tall and dark Rufus, and curly boy in his head.

The redhead boy began first. "I'm Ron!" The girl added, "I'm Ginny. His sister." Cloud nodded, and turned his attention to the curly boy who followed with a small, "I'm Harry. Harry Potter." For some reason, the redhead kids puffed up while the latter gave an uncomfortable smile. Cloud only blinked at them. "Right. And you are?" When he turned to the tall one, he could see through the corner of his eyes the other trio mouthing an incredulous _He doesn't know?_

"Voldem-"

The redhead- Ron, Cloud corrected himself- immediately muffled the rest of Harry's answer and Ginny only glowered at him. Right. Bad blood between these four.

"I'm Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"He's Voldem-!"

Another muffled slap. Cloud only raised his eyebrows but when the kids refused to elaborate on the naming, he let it drop. More important than that, was getting _out _of this dreary place.

He made eye contact with each of the kids to reassure them, and then looked around the cavern to find a discernible exit. "I'm Cloud."

Ron snorted and Ginny gave him a quick jab of elbows. "Like, the fluffy things in the sky? That sometimes rains?" Harry asked somewhat incredulously, and Cloud only nodded. He had enough teasings regarding his name, and this kids' surprise ranked pretty low on the list of offensive things he had been called before.

"So, does anybody know the layout of this cave? I would normally go exploring, but I'd rather not take any chances with the serpent not returning to the Lifestream."

Ginny asked, "What's the Lifestream?" when Harry chimed in, "It's a Basilisk." They looked baffled for a second at each other and Ron shrugged. Cloud looked back, and saw that Tom had disappeared somewhere and bit back another sigh. He couldn't go on a crusade to look for him when he had three others to take care of.

He was about to answer when he was interrupted by a musical trill that filled the air, and Harry happily cried out,

"Fawkes!"

That was a Phoenix. Smaller than the Summon, but definitely a Phoenix. _Who _had summoned a Phoenix? He had yet to see any of the kids use materia, and all the summon ones were back in Edge, inside his room in _7th Heaven_ with the exception of Leviathan, which he had returned to Yuffie.

Cloud dragged his attention back to the present where Harry was explaining how the bird could carry people while the rest of the kids were nodding and staring awed at the beautiful bird. The blond cast another look around the cavern. No Tom yet.

"Right. You kids just go on ahead. I'll just scour the floor for anything missing-"

Ron immediately stopped admiring the bird, and went pale. Did the kid need another Cure? When the other kids also looked at him with worried eyes, Ron only shook his head and screamed,

"Lockhart!"

* * *

a/n: Haven't posted anything on in forever! Was going to delete the profile but I re-read the comments on old, old fics (I love them all, thank you!) and was hit with a sudden nostalgia attack. ha. My writing style changed significantly throughout the years, and it definitely shows. Just a quick note, I haven't seen HP movies after they came out years ago so my memory of everything is fuzzy. Did research but hey, my first book of HP was the 5th one, and not even an English one at that. So I'm basing myself on movies. This won't be long, and just wrote it to see Cloud interact with strange kids haha.  
Edit: Sorry I forgot that Basilisks kill with sight and HP characters were only petrified by looking at its reflection! Edited the parts now.


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud moodily plucked out some grass and flung them to the wind. He was sitting on the edge of what the magicians had dubbed the 'Forbidden Forest' and frankly, he didn't care. If monsters on Gaia couldn't harm him, then probably whatever came out from this ridiculous forest wouldn't kill him either.

Given, it wasn't fair of him to have lashed out like that, but the first impression of adult magic casters didn't go smoothly at _all_.

The swordsman scowled again, and plucked the next patch of grass with more force than necessary. He missed Fenrir and the fast rides with the wind raking through his hair. Or a monster. He could do with some release of the frustration.

"Rotten, isn't it?" a cultured voice interrupted his thoughts.

Cloud looked back, and he saw Tom Riddle leaning on the tree trunk with a raised eyebrow. When did he get here? He wasn't with the tiny Phoenix summon during the escape. Cloud just looked to the castle on the distance again. Not his problem if the weird murder happy kid was playing hooky instead of going to class.

"You are not fracturing anymore." was his answer, and Tom elegantly shrugged. "It was your wandless healing magic." And after some deliberation that seemed too pronounced to be natural, he added, "thank you."

The swordsman just nodded. "If I may, what has gotten you in such a mood? I've been told I'm a good listener, if you want to share some of your burdens." Tom continued, and sat down next to Cloud with a slight rustle of grass. The boy looked surprised for a moment but soon smoothed out his expression into one of bland concern.

Cloud remained silent, collecting his thoughts. "It's nothing. Just… not used to such peaceful changes." he replied, unwilling to share his dark mood with a kid. Tom just looked thunderous for a second by his answer, but he only said, "I see."

This kid had some strange bursting points. The silence stretched, and the eerie stillness from the woods behind him just made everything worse. No birdsong, no rustle of leaves, no distant sound of hooves of animals racing through the forest. It was almost like the Ancient Forest, but… darker in nature. Not outright evil, but not benevolent either.

"Can every caster do that?" Cloud said, after the quiet had settled comfortably between them. Tom raised an eyebrow, and Cloud added, "Mind control. Mind reading?"

He wasn't sure _what _exactly it was, but when the gentle looking older man looked at his eyes, it had felt like… the static when Sephiroth tried using the bond through the cells. Not as crippling, not as painful, but definitely as invasive. So he had closed his eyes and raised every mental defense against the unwelcome intrusion, trying to prevent the Mako flare from changing his irises into toxic green.

He took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, the stuffy grandpa was _definitely _surprised. By his resistance, or something else Cloud wasn't sure, but the culprit was _him _.

So he had decked the man.

Not at full strength, since that would have killed him for sure, but enough to give the elder a nasty concussion and a nosebleed. And the other people on the room had exploded into pandemonium waving their sticks, screams and threats, and rushing at the fallen man.

And Cloud had enough, so he had broken out of the mosaic window under the gasps of the moving -_ moving! _\- portraits of the lavish room, had a second to wish for exit vents while free-falling, and had used the small blade from the Fusion Sword to slow down his descent into the ground. He felt just a little bit guilty of leaving a long streak of carved out rocks on the no doubt historical tower, but it was short lived when he remembered the mind intrusion.

Never again. Not after Sephiroth, Meteor, Black materia, _and _Geostigma.

He scowled, and Tom gave a small huff of amusement. When Cloud glared, the kid mildly replied, "From your question, it sounds like you had a run-in with the resident professor. He doesn't have ill-intentions, but his methods are… questionable."

"So professors can read or control minds?"

Tom gave a dry chuckle. "Oh, yes. They are just worried about the students. There seem to be a _lot _of danger for some of them."

Cloud gave him a flat stare. "Like the small Basilisk?" Tom choked but Cloud continued, "Don't think I've forgotten how you tried to summon something underground. Don't they teach summon safety here?"

"My Basilisk is _not _small!" he seethed, but the blond ignored the comment. "Anyway, if the teachers here find it acceptable to just probe into others' mind, then I'm not surprised that they don't teach about the perils of magic safety."

"Then help me change it."

Cloud glanced at the student after the oddly weighty declaration. Tom had lost all traces of previous emotion and was looking at him with the same brand of unnerving intensity displayed in the cavern. When the blond didn't answer, he repeated, "I wanted to change the system, but many people here didn't want to lose their easy displays of power. Help me change the terrible abuses of authority. To make a better place for the students here."

Cloud just gave him an unimpressed look, but Tom continued to look at him intently.

"Merlin's beard-! Potter was right!"

They both whipped their head to the new source of voice, and it was another small student with a slicked back blond hair, followed by two burly ones. Cloud sighed imperceptibly. He thought the whole 'Forbidden Forest' was because it was forbidden and off limits. How did these kids keep finding him?

The blond boy came to stand imperiously in front of Cloud masking his previous outburst, and with a confident smirk he held out a hand.

"I'm Draco Malfoy. And these two behind me are Crabbe and Goyle. I've heard about you."

What was with these kids pretending to be older than they seemed? He shook a hand dismissively and Draco looked affronted, but Cloud only said, "Sit down. I don't do handshakes."

The kid sat down promptly right next to him and hid a small smile of triumph, but his excitement was short-lived when he noticed the taller student's glare. Cloud looked at Tom trying to eviscerate the smaller kid with his eyes.

Seriously, what was wrong with them? Did they all have an implicit 'hate on sight' pact? Or maybe it was Tom, who seemed to be antagonistic towards everybody Cloud met so far.

"Stop that." Cloud admonished and looked back at the burly kids still nervously standing and eyeing Riddle, and motioned them to sit down as well. They did but left a big distance between Tom and themselves.

When nobody broke the awkward silence between them the swordsman asked, "What are you doing here?"

Riddle looked away, and the new kid cautiously answered. "Well, afternoon classes have been cancelled after the announcement that the Chamber of Secrets has been closed and everybody was safe." He scoffed, and mulishly added, "Didn't even do anything. All the petrified _mudbloods _are cured despite the Mandrakes not being ready, and Potter is out strutting like he's the new hero or something. The Basilisk didn't even finish its job."

Something ugly crossed Draco's face when he mumbled those words, and Cloud blinked. Tom also looked disappointed by the lack of general death except for his summon's but his face turned blank and placid again when he noticed Cloud's glance.

"Oh, I cured the kids."

"_ What? _How _? _"

He was taken aback by the force of the question of the blond kid. Tom also looked curious, but Cloud just shrugged.

"Magic."

At his non-answer, Riddle frowned darkly and Draco and his followers just gaped.

"You are a Medi-wizard that carries around a _sword _? What about your wand?"

"Is that even real?"

Draco glared waspishly at the follow up question of Crabbe or Goyle, and the burly student looked down, chastised. The kids had some seriously messed up power dynamic hierarchy going on from what Cloud had observed from the interactions so far.

And medi-_ wizard _? Why the specific attention to that particular word?

"A medic, yes. Had some practice. I'm more of a swordsman than a healer, though."

"But- what about your wand?"

Cloud sighed at the smaller blond's insistent question. "Don't have one." The students gaped at him again, some with more control over their expression than the others.

"How did you use magic without one?" Tom asked, feigning nonchalance.

The swordsman stood up. His legs were cramping and he was tired of the questioning and the intensity of their interest. The other kids also followed, still looking at him or his sword with surprise and curiosity. Cloud looked at them, and asked, "Is there a restaurant anywhere? Let's eat first. Questions later."

Draco swaggered in front of him, smiling confidently at him. "You can eat with _us _." Again, the strange way of stressing on words made Cloud blink but he only nodded in assent. Cloud looked back to see if other kids were following and-

No Tom again. Seriously, this kid was better at pulling disappearing acts than the Science Department did with their funding and experiments.

"About the place. Is it inside the castle?" When the remaining three kids nodded, Cloud ran a hand through his hair, sighing. If Tifa had been here, she would have scolded him for his casual use of violence.

"I _may _have punched one of your professors. And might not be welcome in there anymore."

* * *

"Mr. Strife! There you are."

Cloud looked up from his beer to see the bearded professor he had punched a few days ago. He looked jolly enough for having been attacked, Cloud supposed and took another sip of his drink.

"You left my students with quite a shock, I must say. I did not expect to find you here! And I must apologize for my blundering during our first meeting. Hogwart students have been under threat lately, you see."

The professor sat down across the table, and ignored the bartender who narrowed his eyes at him. When the barman left to get something behind the room, the man's light demeanor turned somber.

"I must apologize again. The wizarding world has been… unsettled as of late with current events going on."

Cloud nodded. "Are… the kids okay?" he asked, unwilling to look at the professor in his eyes after the last stint he pulled.

He had refused to go back to the castle after the revelation that yes, the food court was better than going to a restaurant, and that yes, he would have to see the professor again. So he had turned and left the kids behind after making sure they were close enough to the gates, and had run to the closest settlement that wasn't a castle in the vicinity.

Cue general confusion when he realized that they didn't take Gil, some more confusion when people saw his sword and attire choice, and more confusion when he asked about a map of the place.

So he had been hiding in this dingy, shady bar, still waiting to see if he could come across another portal or event threshold or _something _that would take him back to his original world. The bar owner was more than happy to give him accommodation and free alcohol after he had chased away the more trigger happy patrons. The professor seemed concerned to find Cloud here, but it was just like going to a more dangerous bar in the slums of Edge.

Nothing to worry about.

When Cloud refused to say anything, the old professor began, "I had my concerns when you climbed up after the children from the Chamber, and their accounts have been… alarming. The children are fine, by the way. Your presence must have been exciting for them!" he added with a twinkle in his eye.

"I also heard that you protected them from the Basilisk. Thank you." Cloud was about to shrug but stopped. There was a niggling question that he had to ask. "By the way, who taught them summoning? That kid had absolutely no caution or whatsoever when he summoned the serpent."

He looked worried and petted his long beard. "Summoning? May I ask who called the Basilisk?"

So, he was not going to give a straight answer. Fine. Cloud didn't have to answer either then, so he shrugged. Tifa would have _words _with him if she saw him acting so stubbornly, but he didn't have the patience to deal with mind probing people more than he had to.

"Oh! Where are my manners. I don't think I've introduced myself after or during all that hubbub! I'm Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts."

Headmaster? "I thought you were a professor." Cloud added, frowning. Dumbledore only looked jolly again when he replied, "I used to be one. But again, that's a long time ago!"

Cloud sighed and took another sip. The last drop fizzed acidly but died out on his tongue, so he swallowed with a grimace. Even the _beer _tasted strange. Dumbledore looked concerned by his expression, and pulled out his wand but when Cloud glared at him, he soothingly said, "I'm afraid some establishments here are more… dangerous than they look like. It looked like your beverage has been tampered with from your expression, so I wanted to exercise caution."

Right. So people poisoned each other with no problem here. Seriously, what _was _with this world? He let down the glass with a thud, and raised his hand to order another drink to the bar owner who seemed _very _interested in cleaning the counter.

"It's okay. I can't be killed." Aerith and Zack liked him living a bit _too much _, so they sent him back whenever he ended up in the field of white with the fragrant scent of lilies on the air. The sudden world hopping trips he found himself in was probably their attempt of a joke as well. Probably.

For some reason, _that _comment drew an alarmed and incredulous look from the headmaster, who looked around and immediately stood up and grabbed onto his arm. Cloud was about to pull back with a scowl, but the world _twisted _in and turned-

.

He landed on a heap on top of marbled floors, and squeezed his eyes from the sudden rise of nausea. His stomach rolled and bile rose to his throat, and Cloud swallowed with effort in order to not throw up.

What on the _Planet _was that?

It felt like motion sickness combined with a nasty dose of Confu and- He hadn't felt like this since… since forever, actually. He could blearily hear the Headmaster order in urgency to someone, "Please come to the office, quickly!-" but he only curled up on himself trying to block out everything.

He had forgotten how _rotten _the feeling was. First Tsurugi was digging into his back painfully, and its weight that had never bothered him before made it hard to breathe with the harness constricting him.

Fuck.

"I apologize for the sudden Side-Along Apparition, but it was imperative we escaped from Knockturn alley. Here. Take this. It will help with the first time apparating nausea."

He slapped away the hand that handed him a vial of something, and groaned in misery. Drinking or eating something would worsen his current status anyway. He wished Esuna would be able to cure motion-sickness.

He stood up shakily, and opened his eyes when he was certain the world wasn't changing colours or tilting sideways. Dumbledore along with two other professors were standing by him, a man dressed all in black with greasy hair, and a severe looking woman who flit stilted glances at him and his sword. Not the nurse who was staring at him with veiled suspicion when he was casting All-Esuna on the petrified kids, then.

"What in the name of Shiva was that?" Cloud rasped out, a wary hand on the hilt of his sword.

Dumbledore, screw him, gave him a grandfatherly look of concern. "First Apparition symptoms."

"No, the sudden Exit from the bar." Cloud tersely replied, hand still not leaving the hilt of his sword.

"Albus, what-"

"Explanations are in order. Please, Minerva."

She pursed her lips in slight disapproval and worry but nodded, and with quick flicks of her wand brought out _chairs _from the rug and primly sat down on one of them with the greasy professor following suit. Cloud stared at her. How did she-?

Dumbledore looked haggard for a second when he also sat down, and motioned Cloud to do so as well.

"Please, I will explain everything now."

Cloud sat down stiffly at the edge of the seat -_ how _was it conjured from the air? Or from the rug?- and warily unclenched the fingers from the hilt of the sword and crossed his arms. "Then talk."

The explanation was nothing out of the norm. A dark lord wanting to conquer and kill people, a prophecy of destiny, a long war hidden from sight, ominous sightings and deaths.

Then probably the way of going back to the Planet was by defeating this dark lord and his followers.

Just like getting rid of the Remnants and Sephiroth. He could do this.

"Then just by killing Voldemort the entire thing can end?" The name niggled at him, where had he heard that before?

Dumbledore gave him a small smile. "He is gathering his forces to rise again, but yes. Without him, there would be no need for these extra defense measures."

"Where can I find him?"

The greasy haired professor scoffed at him. "You believe you can take down the _one _who started everything? Your arrogance knows no bounds."

Again, that strange wording. Who had said that before to him?

"He isn't back yet. We are unaware of his whereabouts, only that he is just waiting for the opportune moment." Dumbledore said and closed his eyes. The woman, -Minerva?- tersely nodded.

"But we are certain that he is coming after Harry Potter, the boy you helped in the Chamber. He is tied to the prophecy, and has already banished the man once. If you stayed here, then inevitably he would come into your path." the headmaster added.

Cloud raised his eyebrows at the blatant effort of manipulation. When the old man noticed this, he smiled benignly again. "We are aware you are far from home, and we would like to help you. But with the current state of affairs…" he trailed off, and the black-clad professor sneered again.

Was there bad blood between these people as well?

"Hogwarts can offer you assistance-" Before the man could finish the sentence, Cloud beat him to the punch. "What's the trade-off?"

He was not a diplomat. He could fight, and he could come up with tactics on the fly, but talking was not his forte. And the longer he listened to this man, the more Cloud just wanted to tear his hair out of frustration. He was leaving _big _gaps in his information, and the unsubtle name drops under the guise of worry meant that he wasn't sharing the more… _important _details.

"We'd like you to protect this boy. With the level of magic mastery and swordsmanship the children and some professors have told me, we would be much more reassured and would be able to shift some of our efforts into finding a safe way for you to find your home."

Figures. Wait, before that-

"How do you know that I'm not just running away from there?"

Dumbledore twinkled his eyes at him again. "Well, information has a way of traveling here, my boy."

That was such a _non-answer _that Cloud scowled and looked away. This was looking more and more like Rufus' recruitment spiel during Geostigma. Oh, we could be mutually beneficial, and I will probably help out if you do something for me first. And before you say anything, no you are _not _allowed to know anything, because _sensitive issues_, you see?

"Albus, I don't believe this is a good idea." Minerva said, and Cloud agreed with her.

"I do believe this is stupidity as well." the greasy professor added on. Cloud was agreeing with him as well.

The blond sighed and stood up. "What do you say?" Dumbledore asked still twinkling his eyes and without acknowledging the concerns of the other two professors. Seriously, power dynamic hierarchy here was _strange _. Cloud re-tightened the sword harness across his chest, and made sure his Fusion Swords were undamaged by the sudden and unwanted Exit -or Apparating, as they seemed to call it- cast on them. He leveled a frigid glare at the old man and said in a clipped voice,

"Not interested."

* * *

a.n: Am I the only one bothered about the fact that there are absolutely no security guards on Hogwarts and literally they just rely on the professors to get rid of intruders? And that almost all the monster infestation problems started within Hogwarts?

Also, taking liberties with Tom Riddle's personality when he is out of his element. ha.

EDIT 15/11/19: I just realized that ALL of my line brakes and spacings were gone after I hit the 'publish' button. Seriously? I'm so sorry about the crappy reading experience you may have experienced! Fixed it three times now, but if FF keeps eating my format I will continue updating only on ao3 where it's easier to preview the edits.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it, just playing with the characters of Rowling and Square.

* * *

Cloud stretched the small kink in his neck, wincing a bit when there was a small _ pop _ . The best thing would have been to go back to the shady inn, but after the headmaster had _ graciously _ dumped him in the castle of nowhere, he had decided to camp out in the forest.

Thankfully he still had an unused Tent, but unfortunately its restorative properties would be gone next time he used it as a makeshift shelter. He seriously needed to go back to the small village to get supplies and have a stronger information network.

He disassembled the Tent quickly, unwilling let any of its left over healing magic dissipate and started walking down the forest. The forest didn't let any sunlight filter in through the canopy, which made it hard to tell the exact passing of time and Cloud didn't want to risk getting found out by other wizards by staying in a place for too long.

With a flick of his wrist, he opened his PHS to check the time. 8:21 a.m apparently. He wasn't sure why the device worked during his dimension hopping period, but he wasn't going to complain. It was a small comfort to know that he still had a connection to his original world even if it was useless to call anybody with it.

Cloud walked for some time until the quiet of the forest became _ too _ pronounced.

The silence was too artificial. This only meant-

Without missing a beat, he whipped out his sword from its harness and cleaved in half a spider that jumped him from behind. Cloud flicked the blade to get rid of the excess monster guts and scanned his surroundings readying himself for battle. At least two dozen spiders, some as big as a Nibel wolf, and all of them chittered in agitation or excitement.

Cloud sighed. He had been jumped by a dozen at least during his walk on the forest yesterday as well, and they kept _ returning _. So far, they have been annoying but they had proven to be the perfect target for his pent-up frustration.

The blond squashed another giant spider under the combined weight of the Fusion Sword, leaping away from the crunch of mandibles and activated the Fire materia slotted in his sword, burning the insect to a crisp. The sharp scent of burnt wood and fur made him grimace, but turned to the other attacking monsters. The woods were too damp to spread the fire, but it also hindered his efforts to just clear the creatures away with a well placed Fire3.

Some of the acid they secreted ate away the black cloth cape on his leg, and he sidestepped a web that would have left him immobile. Another one jumped at him from behind but he rolled away, raising his sword with a smooth motion cutting through its legs. The remaining arachnids chittered and clicked their mandibles, and Cloud sent one flying away with a broad sweep of his sword. He threw a small blade after it, unwilling to follow and it fell silent after a _ squelch _and a keen screech.

The blond shook away some of the web residue sticking in his hands, and jumped on top of the gnarled branches to reach those that were waiting on top of the trees. He had lost count of how many he killed, but but they kept _ coming _. If he felled two, five more appeared from the shadows of the trees to take their place. The carcasses weren't returning to the Lifestream, and the dead bodies were becoming a hindrance to his mobility especially with the forest floor being so uneven and crowded.

_ That's it. _ He was _ done _with these pointless monster attacks.

Cloud leaped away into a clearing he had made after cleaving through the woods, slung his sword on his back and waited for the beasts to scuttle in after him.

When the monsters filled in the clearing loudly screeching and clicking their mandibles, Cloud folded his hands on top of each other and thrust them out, concentrating.

Nothing happened for a few seconds and the spiders stopped in their tracks, suddenly uncertain. Cloud gave them a small smirk.

There was an earth shattering earthquake that rumbled through the entire forest, followed by the bolts of black lightning that crashed on the clearing that parted the skies to let the first rays of sunshine through the woods. The spiders shrieked and started to run away, but they tangled on each other and on the ripping forest roots that was taking them higher and _higher_ into the azure sky.

The heavens suddenly turned grey as the clouds curtained everything under the sun. The pressure in the air increased, and the whiff of ozone and charged electricity made his eyes sting. The white-out of the Giga Flare that flashed over the angry skies left spots dancing under his eyelids, and Cloud blinked rapidly to dispel them.

Only the silence remained.

The first _ thud _of a charred log interrupted the deep quiet of the forest like a crack of a whip.

Cloud looked up and squinted to see the single hole in the sky being blotted out with the dead remains of trees, animals, dirt, and the _ entire _ disintegrated forest bed falling through in a minute of breathless silence.

There. Problem solved. If the forest was too dense and wet for fire attacks, taking the fight to the skies resolved the infestation problem.

The deafening _ bangs _ that followed as the remains of the forest clearing crashed to the soil made him wince a little bit. The spiders were disintegrated, - _ thank you, Neo Bahamut- _ but the attack range of the blast didn't reduce all the flooring into dust, unfortunately. The loud crashes eventually subsided, and only the mangled clearing filled with charred logs and roots remained in front of him.

Cloud took a deep breath to calm himself. Summoning always left his blood humming with magic and adrenaline, so it would take a bit to get his heartbeat to slow down to normal levels without feeling like he had electricity coursing through his body. When he was certain nothing was going to jump at him, he hurried out of the empty clearing that merrily let sunlight into the now gaping hole in the tall tree canopy. There were no more scuttling of legs, or the screech of the spiders so he would have the next few hours filled with peace.

Or so he hoped.

The blond was about to readjust his gloves when he noticed the sticky substance still on them. He bit back a curse. Spider webs were always a pain to get rid of, and even after world hopping it seemed to be the case. Why didn't the all monster residue disappear? The creatures of the Planet only left behind their loot and useful items. These ones here left their dead bodies, blood, entrails, _and _only useless muck behind.

He found a small creek going further into the forest, and started washing up his gloves, -it was leather, and it was going to be hell to restore it- and took out his sword and started cleaning away the bits and bobs of monster slime that had gotten stuck on the blades.

It was peaceful.

Or, as peaceful as a dark forest could be, but still. The scent of water lichen, fallen leaves, and old forest was lulling. The sunlight didn't filter in deeper in here, and the almost perpetual mist on the air gave the place an otherworldly appearance.

He quirked his lips when he imagined Yuffie being here as well, probably whining about bugs that '_have no right to be that big and disgusting! Bleaaargh! Why do they come after me?! Is it because I'm small and cute? I'm definitely small and cute but I don't want my charms working on bugs! Hey, are you laughing at me? Don't pretend otherwise! I saw your face twitch! If you thought you could fool the master of ninja arts then you have another thing coming! Clooooooudster, that's it my man. You owe me at least two rare materia for the torture you are putting me through!' _

He missed his friends.

He shook himself out of his reverie, re-locked all the blades into one, and stabbed it into the earth. There. He seriously needed to get the remaining cobweb stuck in his hair out, and the forest seemed safe enough for now anyway. He plunged his hands into the icy stream first and started pulling at the threads on his hair, hoping that at least _ something _would catch and fall off. Right. First order of business when he went back to the inn in the village would be to take a long, hot shower.

Cloud stilled when a twig cracked loudly in front of him. Shit. Too lost in thoughts, _ again _. He surreptitiously tried raising his head and step back to grab his sword, but blinked when he came face to face with a-

baby Sleipnir?

Odin's Sleipnir was the only creature that fit the description, but this one only had four knobby legs, rather than six. And was gold. And tiny. Also it had a strange stub on its forehead. Unless it was a docile Gigee without… a guitar as its tail.

It blinked slowly at him, and he raised a hand equally slowly as to not spook it away, and pat it on the nose. Probably the nose. Cloud never focused on the steed whenever he summoned Odin, since he had to check that the enemy stayed dead after using him, so this was the first time he saw one so close before.

Maybe the steed grew extra legs when it grew up.

The wonderful creature chuffed softly, butting its head onto Cloud's palm and he quirked a small smile. It didn't seem to mind the coldness of his hands, or the fact that he was sticky everywhere. Maybe it was similar to the baby gold Chocobo chicks back on the Farm's stables.

"Hey there. What's your name?"

It neighed softly, shaking its head and butting its head onto his palm again. He was going to offer some greens to it, but when the creature saw his other hand it stiffened, and bolted away like the strike of lightning.

That was… fast.

What had spooked it so much? He had nothing that would have-

His hands fell on the pouch that contained the diary.

Oh. Right. He had forgotten to let Dumbledore know about this, too caught up in tension and worry.

"I've never seen a unicorn do that."

Cloud jumped away and pulled out First Tsurugi from the floor, aiming the tip at the sudden voice behind him. What was with him today? Everything was sneaking up on him. He lowered the blade when he noticed it was Tom again.

Seriously, did this kid have nothing better to do than follow him around?

"Don't _ do _ that. I could have taken your head off." Cloud warned, but Tom only gave him a smile as a response. Wait. Cloud backtracked the conversation.

"A unicorn?" Not Sleipnir?

"The wizarding world's worst guarded secret, I assure you. It definitely exists, but I've never seen a young foal approach first before." The student continued to smile, and pinned Cloud with another stare.

The blond sighed. He couldn't decipher Tom more than he could read Rufus, and it was immensely irritating. Especially when they looked like a very, very, very smug Don Corneo before his 'date nights'. "What are you doing here? I thought this place was off-limits to the students."

"I'm intrigued."

Here we go again. No answers but half-truths and strange smiles. Cloud almost rolled his eyes while adjusting his gloves and carried the sword on his shoulder, unwilling to leave it sheathed. He hurried his footsteps and he heard Tom follow behind him. "Why aren't you socializing with other students or something? I'm busy."

"I heard the ruckus you made and was wondering what happened to the entire forest. I don't think I've seen any monsters so far even though I'm so deep in it."

A branch snapped loudly under his foot, and Cloud stopped for a moment to hear if other monsters were attracted by the sound. When he heard none, he resumed walking.

"Just a spider infestation I took care of. And seriously, go back. The forest is too dangerous."

Tom gave him a small smirk and continued to follow him. Was the kid going to come after him for the entire trip out of the forest?

Cloud stopped and turned to look at the taller student. "Look, if you are going to play hooky, I won't say a thing since that's your decision. But you can't keep following me. I'm going to do some dangerous things from now on, and probably some things that _ may _ not be completely acceptable for the people here."

"Such as?" Tom raised an aristocratic eyebrow, _ still _looking like a Cuahl that had caught the chocobo.

The blond shrugged. He didn't have any concrete plans regarding the dark lord or going back to Gaia, but usually he would get some sort of _ cosmic _ hint or some kind of giant catastrophe that pointed the way.

"I graduated, actually. I don't have any other pressing concerns that require my attention." Tom said, still giving him the 'perfect-student' smile.

When Cloud stared at him in disbelief, Tom added, "And from your reactions so far you look like you are out of date regarding some wizarding world events, and I believe you could do with some… _ insider _help." He plucked out a branch from the nearby tree, marvelling at it before looking back at the blond.

Cloud huffed and started walking again. The footsteps behind him followed at a sedate pace. He wasn't going to go around breaking and entering temples, -if this world had them- with a kid in tow.

"You _ need _ me." Tom said behind him, stressing the word.

"No, I don't." Cloud replied, sheathing his sword again. There were no monster attacks so far, and he wanted to have two hands free in case he needed to get something from his pouch. His shoulder was starting to cramp under the weight of the combined swords.

To tell the truth, he did need some unbiased party to ask questions regarding the more… delicate questions regarding the wizarding history, but _ everybody _ he met so far seemed to have something to hide. So, not worth trusting anybody yet.

Well, except for the strange kids he met in the cavern and Tom here, but Cloud was _ hardly _ going to ask a bunch of children regarding the bloody details regarding a large scale event that might have affected their family. Even if said children tried to kill each other.

Cloud sighed. He missed Marlene and Denzel.

"Well, I-"

Cloud held out a hand shushing Tom, and the latter seemed incensed at being interrupted. When the blond noticed this, he raised his index finger to his lips and cocked his head. The dark haired teen fell silent, his features turning attentive again.

There were definitely some_ things _ following them. Not close enough to see but within hearing distance.

The wind whistled-

And Cloud whipped out his sword and deflected an arrow that streaked past him and would have hit Tom. Soon, the entire forest _ thundered _ with the sound of hooves around them, and the blond started warming up his Barrier materia in case the followers tried to use weapons on them.

He kept his attention split on the figures that darted behind the trees, and checking that Tom was unharmed. The kid just looked like he had swallowed something especially fowl and his hands trembled with the force he was clenching them. No bleeding anywhere, so Cloud turned his eyes to the creature that emerged from the cover of the trees and aimed their bow as a warning.

Cloud's eyes widened when he noticed the _ human _ torso fused with the body of a unicorn, -as Tom described the legless Sleipnir-. He had seen a lot of humanoid creatures, or monsters with the intelligence of a human, such as a Goblin or a Ghirofelgo, but never something so extreme on both sides of the spectrum.

He was friends with Nanaki after all, the wisest out of all of their ragtag group of eco-terrorists, so maybe calling the half-unicorn human an _ it _might be offensive.

Still, the swordsman didn't lower his blade since _ they _didn't lower their guards at all either.

"What do you want?" Cloud asked, still keeping a wary eye out for a sudden spark of hostilities.

One of them came forward and leveled a glare at Cloud and then at Tom. "We've seen what you did to a nest of the Whitetail spiders east from here."

"...so?"

"And you have crossed over one of our territories. With a _ wizard _." He almost hissed out the last word, pulling taut the string of the bow.

Again, with the word stressing. Definitely bad blood between wizards and these unicorn men, then. When Cloud remained silent, Tom smoothly cut in between them saying, "I thought centaurs didn't attack minors. Where is your _ honor _?"

Cloud warned, "Tom-"

"And I thought centaurs were a proud race that bowed under no one. Have you fallen so far as to hide under the shadows to follow two wanderers?"

The unicorn man, -_ centaur, _ Cloud corrected mentally- from the left chuffed angrily, pawing the ground in agitation. The one behind them notched an arrow to his bow and gave them a warning tilt of his head. _ All _of them gave Tom, -and in turn, Cloud as well- a glare that would have scorched the earth with its intensity.

"Tom. Stop."

He _ could _ take them, probably, but he didn't want to risk it without having Tom out of the way. Dying was an unpleasant option, and Cloud didn't wish it on the blabbering kid, even if he was lowering the chance of escaping unharmed _ substantially _.

One of the pale haired centaurs came forward, and carefully put away his bow. "I am Firenze. We only ask this out of caution. The stars have been…" he took a cautious glance at Cloud before continuing, "unsettled and they all point to _ you." _

Oh. Cosmic hint.

"And your ability to command the king of dragons does not bode well for… non _ human _ creatures."

The last two words earned the pale centaur a sharp glare from the rest of the band. And the comment itself earned Cloud another intense stare down by Tom. Cloud felt tired of this exchange of stares, so he lowered his Fusion sword.

"If… this is about the Summon, you don't have to worry. There is a specific set of them I can call forth anyway." The blond explained with a small sigh.

The centaurs didn't look placated at all, and Tom just looked even _ more _ intrigued.

Great.

"I'm just planning to cross the forest, and I didn't mean to cross over your territory. Sorry. We'll just be on our way out of here." Cloud added, sheathing his sword and crossing his arms.

The centaurs, especially the ones in front gave each other meaningful looks, and Firenze approached slowly. "I can lead you out of here," he glanced at the burly centaur next to him and he gave the pale centaur a snort of derision.

"We will not be as lenient next time." The centaur warned and with a flick of his hand, the rest of the centaurs thundered away into the woods. Only Firenze remained, and he started trotting to the other way, motioning to them to 'come'.

Cloud and Tom followed behind, all conversations gone.

"What did the planet say?" Cloud asked Firenze after some walking, who kept at a sedate pace to not lose them behind.

The centaur side-eyed him, and his mouth turned flat. "Unclear. If you are here to help, you are many years too late or too early. If you are here to hinder, then you are also misplaced in time."

That… didn't sound good.

"What do you mean, too early or late?"

"If you were here for the rise of the dark lord, then you are too late. If you are here for his rise, for the planets predict it so, then you are too early." Firenze said in a somber voice.

So he couldn't do _ anything _ regarding his main problem of being stuck _ here _.

Cloud stopped, and his companions looked back at him inquisitively. He tried to force down the instinctive rise of _ something _ that always came after the realization that he was under the mercy of something or some _ one _ else when it came to his life choices, which usually wasn't a choice at _ all _.

After swallowing down the tangled mess of… anxiety, guilt, anger, resignation, whatever it was at this point, he managed out, "Is… is there any prophecy about restoring something out of place? Or bringing back someone to their original… state?"

Anything would do at this point. Exit materia, or their kind of strange magic, dimensional travel, some kind of unknown ritual… He was going to keep his options open. If he was stuck here for the foreseeable future since whatever brought him _ here _ didn't put him in the correct timeline, then he would try to find a way back himself.

Since there seemed to be no cosmic deity, or enemy, or whatever to defeat to win an automatic ticket back. _ Currently _at any rate. Too late or too early.

Damn it.

When he realized none of his companions had actually replied, Cloud looked back curiously, just to be taken aback by the extremely alarmed intensity of the two. Or, alarm in the centaur's case, and Rufus' brand of intensity on Tom's. Again. It seemed to be the favorite expression to adopt whenever Cloud did or said whatever it tickled his fancy again.

"...What?" he asked, uncomfortable.

The centaur just shook his head, and muttered to himself, "…_ Very _ foreboding, indeed," while Tom didn't acknowledge the hunter. Firenze seemed to notice that he had left the question hanging, so he cleared his throat to say, "There are, but… they are very dangerous. Only those with a penchant for a _ certain _ brand of magic dabble in it, often with _ great _consequences."

The word emphasis again. So, inter-dimensional instant travel was a no, unless he wanted to lose or sacrifice something or whack the natural balance out. When he was about to ask something else, Tom suddenly spoke up, regarding the centaur with thinly veiled contempt.

"That's what non _ wizarding _ human folk believe. There are definitely arts regarding the more… _ powerful _ topics. It would be easier for you to find your answers among wizards and witches than… others."

The pauses were definitely on purpose, if the slighted expression on Firenze's face was anything to go by. Could Tom go _ one _ day without antagonizing somebody?

He guessed not.

So far Tom was unpleasant or displeased with everybody Cloud had met, anyway. But the barb regarding non-human folk of Tom killed any further conversations, and the trio trekked through the forest in oppressive silence. Tom gave Cloud a _ look _that said 'I will tell you more about it, when we are not with company' and Cloud held back a sigh and nodded minutely.

Cloud was _ tired _ of vague omens and uncertainties. Cait Sith and the mog's fortune-telling sounded more reliable at this point anyway. He still kept the slip of randomized paper that the robot had given him that said, ' _ Never give up,' _ when he had asked on a whim during Meteorfall.

His lips twitched with a smile. _ Never give up _. None of them had.

Even when the desperation clawed at their heels, or when their hope chipped and turned brittle every time they saw the shifty, sunken eyes of the people, trying to live their remaining countdown as if nothing happened.

Because they learned to push aside the drowning terror aside to fuel the rage, sharpen their desperation into dogged stubbornness, set their broken bones into tempered steel.

So he wouldn't give up now. Not now, not ever. If he took time, then so be it. He was going to return one way or another.

Cloud glanced at the centaur when he stopped and gestured ahead. "This is as far as I take you. Continue further, and you will find the exit to the woods," the centaur said, and Cloud looked around to see how far they had come. Ramuh, he seriously needed to stop losing himself in his head. He could probably trace back the path taken, but his inattention was costing him so far.

"Thank you," Cloud replied with gratitude. He could have found the way out of the woods, but would have been difficult with Tom to look after. The latter gave Cloud an unimpressed stare as if reading his thoughts, but Cloud ignored him.

"Do not thank me yet. And exercise caution going onwards. For the planets diverge, and nothing is set on stone."

With those words, Firenze galloped back with a last loaded glance at Cloud and then Tom.

* * *

"Father, look!"

Malfoy rushed ahead excitedly, and when Lucius was about to reprimand him for forgetting his manners, Narcissa softly smiled at her husband looking at their son indulgently.

He was planning to take his family to one of the Malfoy estates abroad during his son's summer vacation, but for some reason his son had insisted on remaining here, saying that 'there was something his father and he really, really had to see.'

Both he and Narcissa indulged him, obviously.

But he couldn't help but to wish for a different setting for his family to enjoy their time together. After the Potter boy had freed, -_ freed! the sheer impetuousness of that boy!- _his house elf, Lucius still felt a stab of scorn for everything related to that brat and the buffoon of a headmaster, and in extension, Hogsmeade, where all the kids and their disgusting parents would mingle and chatter excitedly.

However, _ something _ had happened to Draco during his second year with the basilisk, and in his letters he had detailed about a _ swordsman _ of all things, and his skill regarding a particularly powerful wandless magic.

If the rumors were to be believed, _ he _ was the one who had stopped the basilisk's rampage through the school. Lucius was wary of course. If a new _ unknown, _ powerful variable had entered the wizarding world, then it was in his interest to extend his influence and make sure the new variable knew his place.

Especially when there were disquiet reports of… the Lord returning.

Lucius would do anything to keep their family safe in all circumstances, and if that meant keeping vigilance over some strange rumors, so be it.

Draco was now goggling at one of the newest brooms of Quidditch, describing the specifications to Narcissa who still had the fond look on her. Lucius reminded himself to buy the broom _ and _a particular gift for his son and wife.

A loud explosion shook the windows of the shops, and the people around him screeched in surprise. Lucius and Narcissa had grabbed their wands hidden in their pockets, and gestured Draco to come back, who was shaken but trying to calm himself.

What was it now?

Surprisingly, it wasn't a wand searching explosion from that doddering Ollivander. The smoke from the explosion was billowing from further down the alleys, probably one of the shops that dealt with dangerous trinkets in Knockturn Alley.

When people realized the source of the commotion was in the less than savoury alleyway, they turned their heads trying to ignore it.

Lucius clicked his tongue.

He tried to turn to Narcissa, and convince Draco to leave the distasteful town, but his youngest son froze and immediately tore through the crowd to reach the beginning of the alleyways.

"Draco!" Narcissa called after him, but their son looked back and waved to them, turning again to face whoever Draco had seen.

Lucius exhaled through his nose in annoyance, and Narcissa just smiled at him. His expression immediately softened but he soon schooled it into indifference again, and walked down to where his son was now talking animatedly to someone.

People threw themselves out of his and his wife's way when they noticed them, and Lucius suppressed a smirk.

When they finally caught up to Draco, Lucius had to blink at the scene.

It was a _ tiny _blond swordsman covered in soot next to a regal child who was also equally filthy looking put out, and Draco talking to the blond animatedly.

"Draco! Are these your friends?" Narcissa asked, frowning slightly after taking in the disheveled state of the two strangers, but smoothing out her expression when she saw how excited Draco was being.

"Oh! Erm, mother. Father. This is the swordsman! And..." Draco trailed off when he realized he didn't recognize the regal boy.

"Tom." He curtly replied.

"Right. Mother, father, this is Cloud and Tom. And these are my parents." Draco introduced proudly, slightly preening.

Lucius held back another smile at seeing how proud his son was of them, but refrained instead nodding slightly to the strangers. He wasn't going to shake hands with somebody covered in _ filth _.

"Lucius Malfoy. And this is Narcissa Malfoy, my lovely wife."

The elder Malfoy catalogued the strangers to see if he could place a name and face to the pureblood wizarding families across Europe, but he came up blank. From the dulled stare of the blond, it seemed that the lack of recognition was mutual. Were his eyes _ glowing _? If this was a fashion trend from the continental wizards, then it was… disturbing.

"Cloud Strife. And this is-"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle."

His breath froze in his lungs, and he sharply looked back at the dark boy again.

Just a coincidence, for sure. The same name of the diary owner that he slipped into Weasley's child, certainly.

The aristocratic child only raised a small eyebrow at him, looking back curiously.

Definitely a coincidence.

"So, what brings you to Knockturn alley's establishment, gentlemen?" he asked. The blond remained silent and Lucius felt irritation rising up in him, but the dark haired teenager answered instead.

"We were trying to find a more suitable place to stay, after a professor of Hogwarts tried to force my friend here," Tom gestured at the swordsman, "into some… less than savory contract when he realized Cloud's talents."

Lucius felt his eyebrows climb up to his hairline, and knew that Narcissa's was as well. Nonplussed, the child continued, "I tried to reason with the professor, but he would not stop. So, here we are."

Terribly vague, vague, and _vague_.

But also it could be an opportunity to strike back at the fool pretending to be a headmaster of Hogwarts if he played his cards right. He wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to try to manipulate the new _ powerful _ chess piece into his whims, and getting burned instead.

"What an… unfortunate circumstance." Lucius consoled, and Cloud shrugged again.

"Nothing that couldn't be handled."

"And you are covered in soot because…?"

Cloud waved his hand in a vague manner. "Just some idiots who tried to jump us. They are dealt with."

Tom looked terribly smug at that, and Cloud noticed as well but refused to continue on with the story.

"Oh! Did you use the wandless magic again?" Draco piped in, and Cloud nodded.

A taciturn man, certainly. A strong warrior probably as well, if the corded muscles in those arms were to be trusted. Definitely not a pure-blooded wizard from England, if the strange, almost _ muggle _like choice of attires was any indication.

Lucius' mental image of the continental wizards couldn't get _ any _lower. Muggle styles, seriously? What was the wizarding world coming to?

But then again, maybe he was one who adhered to the old ways. With the advantage of magic, sword carrying wizards _ drastically _diminished in number. Who bothered to duel with swords when a flick of the wand solved the issue?

Not this one, certainly.

"Could you show me?" Draco continued to ask the blond, and Narcissa put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. His son looked embarrassed for a second, until he composed himself.

The stranger cast his eyes behind, above, below and then said, "Maybe not here."

Smart fellow, to be wary.

Draco seemed to be flushed with excitement, and Lucius and Narcissa shared a small look of fondness for their son. He always seemed to be eager to grow up, take up the Malfoy mantle and leave his childhood behind, but still his age showed during these short instances.

Then again, it wasn't everyday one met a strange wizard set in his old ways, who was a complete _ unknown _ in the wizarding world. If the swordsman had been making waves as big as Draco had described to him, _ all _the wizarding grapevines would have been aflame, but even Lucius had only heard of him through the letters of his son. Dumbledore no doubt was trying to mitigate the information flow.

_ And _if the swordsman had been refusing the manipulations of that old fool, then it was possible he was more amenable to be swayed. If he was following the olds ways of wand and sword, then persuading him about the merits of being close to pure blood wizards would be… easier.

He had to be prepared for _ anything, _ and with the unsettling remarks of the Dark Lord rising again, Lucius was dead set on making sure his family was untouched. If there was a way for the Malfoy name to come out unscathed, then he would _ gladly _take it.

After all, _family_ came before loyalty.

* * *

A.n: I forgot to add a disclaimer in the previous chapters, so I am doing on this one. Also, I don't know why this is developing a plot since I only wanted to see Cloud interacting with kids. I thought this would be 3 chapters hahahaha. My brain lied. Again, taking liberties with some aspects, so send me a pm if something is unclear.  
Thank you for all your lovely reviews, favorites, and follows! And thank you Guest reviewer!


	4. Chapter 4

Standard fic disclaimers apply.

* * *

"Albus. This is serious."

Dumbledore let out a pained sigh at his Deputy Headmistress's words. She was absolutely right. How could things have gone _so _out of control?

"I know, Minerva."

"He _destroyed _an entire section of the Forbidden Forest!" she hissed, and Albus nodded tiredly.

"I'm also aware."

"Hagrid also informed me that the centaurs are agitated, an entire spider's nest is gone, and he might be holding a student hostage!"

Dumbledore blinked. The last one was new.

"Who?"

Minerva pursed her lips for a moment, but shook her head. "One of the centaurs was only willing to share so much to Hagrid. But he appears to have been a Hogwarts student from the robes he was wearing."

So it was a 'he'.

Things couldn't get more troubling. After the disastrous attempt of recruiting him for Hogwarts, Dumbledore had sent Snape to see if anything related to a blond swordsman could turn up from the old archives or from the list of Death eater supporters.

Nothing had appeared.

Even more alarming was the fact that Harry and his entourage seemed troubled during the entire End year banquet. He couldn't help but send a concerned glance to the Gryffindor table but the children had been furiously whispering among themselves, without even trying to dig into the scrumptious food.

He had been waiting for Harry to approach him with the problem first, but it seemed that he had miscalculated the degree of trust that the boy exhibited.

Still, he heard about Harry managing to free Lucius' house elf somehow, and to hear about him fuming about his predicament had been reassuring.

Dumbledore still did have to endure an unpleasant visit from the Malfoy leader about his incompetence as a headmaster, the Hogwarts school, and the general state of affairs of the place, but knowing that Lucius' plan to crumble the Muggle Protection Act and lash out at the Weasleys had failed was heartening.

But now, an errant swordsman who played a big role in defeating the basilisk taking a hostage?

His list of problems seemed to increase.

"I have alerted my contacts to keep an eye out regarding the blond, Minerva. We can only wait and see now."

"Thank goodness all the students are away. If they had _seen _or heard the ruckus of the Forest, I cannot imagine the degree of recklessness that some might have displayed to get a first look."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, and Minerva gave a small huff. "Were there other concerning reports?"

The witch nodded. "The skies turned dark before the portion of the Forbidden Forest disappeared. Albus, you must have seen the white flash as well."

How could he not? He was sitting in his office when a blinding light from the windows had cast the entire room into shadows for a brief second. All the paintings were afraid, and he had hurried to the windows just in time to see a patch of the sky opening up to pour down rubble into the Forbidden Forest.

It would have taken at least ten Aurors to try a wide-scale magic like that. But if Mr. Strife had managed to do it by himself…

That made him _very _dangerous. And combined with his lack of knowledge regarding major wizarding world events, his unknown loyalty, and casual displays of power meant that he was dangerous _and _volatile.

Never a good combination.

"Only certain spells can change the heavens like that, Albus. We should contact the ministry and the Aurors. This is out of our hands!" The Deputy Headmistress said with a worried frown, and the paintings voiced their agreement.

"Oh, he was a dreadful fellow! So violent!" One of the paintings chimed in, and the rest followed. "So quick to resort to fisticuffs!" "And so... _barbaric_!"

"Let's settle down, everyone." Dumbledore closed his eyes, and plucked his half moon glasses from his face to set them on the table in a tired manner. His broken nose was completely healed but he could feel the surprise when the blond had attacked.

After collecting his thoughts for a bit, he sighed.

With the Chamber of Secrets closed, no more monsters would roam the halls of the school, but everything else was still a problem. Young had refused to elaborate when he had gently asked about the occurrence within the Chamber, and Harry and his friend also kept their uncomfortable silence. They all seemed deeply troubled, but none of them had said anything, only that the Chamber was definitely closed. He didn't want to use Legilimency in their young minds, lest he crumble the trust of the young wizards and witches, but the severe lack of information regarding the situation was problematic.

With the insidious outcropping of Anti-muggle sentiments in the wizarding world, Lucius still exerting pressure on the Ministry and his increasingly vocal protests against the teachers of Hogwarts, everything was in a delicate balance.

"We will have to confront soon. This might be a big misunderstanding. He seemed _confused _by your magic when you transfigured the chair, Minerva."

The witch narrowed her eyes. "He took a Hogwarts student _hostage _."

"But are we certain? If it had been a student, we would have been flooded by howlers from concerned parents," Dumbledore explained, and held up his glasses to clean them. "And if it had been an orphaned student, we would have gotten an alert from the Ministry or the guardian of the orphanage."

"Then _who _could possibly be the student?"

The wizard put on his glasses, and gave her a tired smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"_That _is the question, isn't it?"

* * *

Cloud was uncomfortable. Make that more than uncomfortable. This entire place reeked of wealth, and Cloud couldn't feel more out of place here in the lavish mansion. And he _owned _the Shinra mansion in Costa del Sol, but it didn't even compare.

He was still covered in soot from the explosion that one of the muggers had caused, and if it wasn't for Draco's persistence and his parent's strangely pushy insistence to take the conversation somewhere more pleasant, he wouldn't _be _here.

Tom looked more than at home among the ostentatious display of riches, even if he was also sooty. He noticed Cloud's stare and his discomfort, and he smiled blandly.

"Don't worry. I know the Malfoy family. We are in good hands."

'_He didn't seem to recognize you_', Cloud wanted to reply but decided to go along with Tom's good mood. No need to make the testy kid confrontational again.

Cloud tried to sit as far as possible in the edge of the plush loveseat, trying to not to leave smudges of soot in the pristine furniture and failing. The Malfoy parents had seated themselves across him in the ridiculously spacious drawing room and were delicately sipping tea, still holding their stony expressions.

They were probably cross that he was making a mess out of their ridiculously expensive house. Not his fault if he wasn't even given time to clean himself up.

Draco was sitting right next to him, trying to lighten the now oppressive mood by making small talk, but his attempts petered out into sullen silence when he noticed nobody was joining in.

Poor kid.

Gaia, he was out of place here. He was grateful for the brief respite of gawking onlookers and whispering people, but now this was another level of uncomfortable.

At last, the elder Malfoy let down his cup and asked, "We would like to hear about your exploits, Mr… Strife. I don't believe we have met, and we would have _certainly _heard about you if your old ways of upholding _sword and wizardry _was true." His calculating eyes flicked to the Fusion Sword propped next to Cloud.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. Was that a threat or a compliment? He shifted in his seat.

"Just got a bit… lost."

"Where did you say you heralded from?"

"Far away."

"Has your _family _ever been present in one of our… _gatherings _?"

Cloud frowned. Gatherings? It felt like they were having two different conversations. What did family have anything to do here?

"Was traveling for a long time. I don't think I've met anybody," -_Like your family or people- _Cloud added mentally, "... in a long time." He finished after a small pause.

Tom cut in seamlessly, "Please excuse him. He has been out of touch with _our _community for quite some time, and doesn't know or remember much regarding current events."

"You must have been living in the woods or worse, between _muggles _!" Lucius finished with a bark of laughter, to which only Tom and Narcissa smirked. Draco looked a bit uncomfortable but chimed in with a forced smile, and Cloud just remained silent.

Cloud didn't know what 'muggles' meant, but probably something that these people held in contempt if the reactions was anything to go by.

"Well then, Mr. Strife. Draco told me about your exploits in Hogwarts! I must hear this. How come you have found your way there?"

"Walked there." Or more like, one of the cosmic forces or something dropped me in a shady cavern, filled with strange kids and a Summon.

The Malfoys blinked collectively and Tom let out a small sigh. Cloud just shrugged. He wasn't going to tell everything a couple he just met, and even if this irritated Tom, he would just have to deal. And he knew he was being rude, but with how easily the people here resorted to waving their wands at the slightest things, he decided to not say anything at all, just to minimize property damage.

Tom, probably tired of his reticence, gave a loaded glance at Lucius Malfoy who got the unsaid message and nodded.

"Excuse us for a moment."

They left without another word, and Cloud held back the urge to fiddle with his gloves. The mistress of the house was sipping her tea not even bothering to hide her cool assessment of him, and Draco also remained silent next to him, sensing the unfriendly mood of the room.

Eventually Draco ventured out, "Cloud, could you show me the wandless magic?"

"Sure," the blond replied absently. "What would you like to see?" At this point, he would gladly show some low level spells, just to distract himself from this situation.

"Oh! Just a moment." Draco perked up and made a beeline for his mother. "Mother, could I use one of your plants in the conservatory?" At her nod, he scampered off with a hasty "I'll be right back!"

When it was only two of them in the room, Narcissa lowered her cup with a _clink _that was loud in the room. The following silence was oppressive and uncomfortable, and Cloud squashed the urge to fiddle, tap his shoes, or do anything drastic to escape from here. Gaia, he was twenty-six. He shouldn't feel like a gangly eight year old in Nibelheim under the scrutiny of the townspeople waiting for him to make a mistake to boot his mother and he out of the village.

But he _did_ feel like one.

At last, she pinned him with an icy glare and said, "I don't know what you are planning, Mr. Strife. And frankly, I do not care. However, if whatever you and your charge do affect my son or my family, I won't hesitate to make sure you are _never _found again."

Cloud nodded. "Believe me, I'm not planning to stay here longer than necessary. I'm just trying to find my way back." Frankly, Cloud could understand her wariness. If a complete stranger armed to the teeth came to 7th Heaven just because Denzel or Marlene had heard about them once, then he would have been on edge immediately as well. Even if the kids were enthused about the stranger.

"Good to know that we understand each other then." Her eyes crinkled with the slightest hints of a smile that smoothed out into cold indifference again. She picked up her cup and took another sip. Cloud ignored his own steaming cup in favor of looking out of the window. The silence was bearable now at least, but still discomfiting.

He turned his head back when he heard the fast _thud thud thud _of a light feet coming this way.

"I'm back! Here."

Draco ran back in with a wilting plant in his hands, and deposited the pot on the table dropping some dirt onto it.

"Draco, the mess you've made!" Narcissa lightly scolded him, but the undeniably fond look on her eyes lessened her reprimand. He smiled boyishly at her and said unrepentant, "Sorry mother."

Then he turned to look at Cloud with excitement in his eyes. "Can you heal this? Like what you said you did in the medical wing?"_ Even if it was for mudbloods,_ he grumbled to himself.

Seriously, the bad blood between the children here was on a whole new level.

Anyway, should he cast an Esuna? Cure? He never tried restorative spells on plants, only animals and humans, but it would be a good time to try.

Wordlessly, he lightly touched the drooping leaf of the plant and fed a trickle of magic to his materia. The orb gently glowed in his wrist, and with a small refreshing burst of sparkles, the plant slowly but surely regained its verdant hue and unfurled.

Holy-!

Cloud snatched his hands away when the plant _moved _and tried to bite his fingers off. Shiva, who kept Flower Prongs as _pets _? The nasty plants were vicious and bloodthirsty for flesh on a normal day! At least, now he knew that Cure worked on plants as well.

"There. Does that work?" Cloud asked, and when he looked back up both Draco and Narcissa were openly goggling at him.

"Should I not have healed it so much?"

"No, no… This is good." Narcissa said, leaning closer to the table to get a better look at the Flower Prong.

"See, mother? He can _heal _without even saying anything!" Draco said, awed and smug at the same time. "Not even the medi-wizards in St. Mungo's can _do _that! Uh, Goyle told me when he had to take an emergency trip." He ended lamely, when he noticed his mother's eyes on him.

"And he is amazing with his sword!" The kid added, practically vibrating in his place trying to hold his excitement. "Or… I heard Potter loudly whispering to his friends," he crossed his arms and huffed, his previous cheerfulness evaporating into sullen grudge.

Narcissa smiled at Draco's annoyance, as if his concerns regarding Harry Potter were a commonplace thing in the Malfoy household. Cloud held back a smile.

There was a subtle tap on the doors, and the trio looked to the door to find Lucius pale as a ghost, with subtle tension running in his shoulders.

"Dear, a word please," Lucius said and she rose from her seat in concern, casting a look at Tom who came into the room looking pristine and smug. The Malfoys left with a slight hurry to their steps, and Cloud found himself worrying slightly.

_What _did Tom say to Lucius? When Cloud raised an eyebrow, the dark haired teenager only shrugged elegantly.

"What do you have here?" The student asked instead giving a slightly derisive glance at Draco who reddened in anger but held his silence, and settled his gaze on Cloud and the wriggling plant in front of them.

The blond tried sit back on the loveseat, until he realized he was still disgusting and minutely sighed.

"Just showed Draco a simple healing spell."

"That was _simple_?" The blond kid asked, his anger forgotten.

"...Yeah." It came out more like a question than an answer, but it had been only the lowest Cure level, since he didn't want the plant suddenly sprouting new stems or something from the jolt of healing magic. Reeve had theorized that the Cure materia worked by replenishing _all _the dead cells by giving an extra boost to the internal Lifestream of living things, so the magic in excessive quantities could create unwanted mutations by the rapid cell regeneration. Definitely effective when somebody was losing blood or _almost _losing a limb, since the magic could heal the torn ligaments and replenish the blood cells but _dangerous _if the person or animal was healthy.

There was a reason why Cure materia heals were prescribed by doctors and medics for the normal population. There were incidents _before _Shinra corralled the easy materia trade where some got addicted to the easy heal and the refreshing sensation of it and had… over cast. Nothing concrete since they soon disappeared, but according to rumors they sprouted extra appendages and limbs…

And Zack had always complained about the Shinra-issued Cure materia for not being very fast or powerful.

Cloud shuddered internally. Materia tended to be more reactive to the mako in SOLDIERs, so he could imagine the Materia Labs recreating the Restorative ones that didn't have the same output as natural materia. He could picture how easily a SOLDIER cast Cure on a civilian during battle could turn into a disaster…

Well, it didn't matter now.

"How much can you heal?" Tom asked, prodding at the Flower Prong without caution. His smile turned triumphant when one of its leaves snapped at him and drew blood. Did this kid have no _survival instincts_ or whatsoever? He had openly antagonized the centaurs in the forest as well, and had followed him all the way from the chamber!

Whatever. Cloud cast another low-level Cure on Tom's hands with a small sigh. "Depends on how fast I can get to the scene. Amputations are tricky, but could do it if I can cast the heal right after the accident. Burns, cuts, frostbites, acids, paralysis, poisons, petrifications… Yeah. Decapitations… not so much." -_ Not without a Phoenix Down anyway _\- Cloud added in his mind.

Both students looked amazed by the pristine finger, and Tom's smile started to turn… sinister. Gaia, he never thought he would use that word on a teenager's expression, but it was the only one that fit. Tom looked like an evil mastermind plotting the demise of his enemies.

Just like Rufus.

"Don't go chopping your fingers again because I won't heal you," Cloud warned when he saw Draco eyeing the plant as well. The kid withdrew with a cheeky smile and Tom cast the kid a half-hearted glare. At least Tom appeared to be less hostile towards the younger kid.

"Oh, I have something for you," Tom stopped his glaring contest with Draco and withdrew a stick with a silver serpent's head from his pockets. When did he get _that _?

The teenager waved the wand and intoned "Scourgify," and Cloud recoiled when the soot from his clothing and arms vanished into thin air.

"What the-?"

"I can _do _magic." The declaration was loaded with meaning, and he looked ridiculously triumphant by the fact. He did put away his wand when he noticed Draco staring at it.

Now that he thought about it, didn't Lucius have a cane with a serpent's head? If Tom stole it, he would have to apologize to the Malfoys. If it was a gift, then it was not his problem. Either way, Tom didn't give any explanations so Cloud let the matter drop.

He would bring it up if the elder Malfoy had trouble finding his cane.

"Congratulations," Cloud offered drily when he noticed Tom still waiting for any kind of reaction. If Tom was a student of Hogwarts, then wasn't it normal to be able to use magic? At least, the headmaster had explained that all students with aptitude for magic were invited.

But Cloud guessed that Tom needed the encouragement by how ridiculously smug the teen looked after his lukewarm congratulation.

Seriously weird kid.

Tom kept checking his fingers where he had cut himself with a razor sharp concentration, and Cloud settled deeper on the seat making sure his sword was still fine. Whatever Draco's parents were discussing about was taking a long time. He probably shouldn't leave without saying a proper thank you to the Malfoys so he just closed his eyes.

In the end, Draco blurted out ,"How are you two related?" looking like he couldn't hold in his questions anymore and Cloud almost snorted by the sheer _ridiculousness _of the question.

"Not related. He is just temporarily following me."

"He is my mentor."

Cloud blinked and looked back at the dark haired teenager. The latter only smiled innocently, which Cloud didn't buy at _all _, and Draco seemed confused by the clashing answers.

The Ex-SOLDIER frowned slightly and shook his head. "Tom is just following me for a short while. He is going to go home soon."

"And I told you that I do not have any pressing concerns, so I'd rather stay," Tom rebutted without even blinking. "Also, I think I'm learning _more _being with you than my years at Hogwarts. So I do consider you as a mentor, of sorts." he finished with a small smirk.

Cloud closed his eyes and willed his Tom induced headache away. Seriously, is this what everybody had to deal with whenever he decided to be stubborn? He sent a mental apology to his friends for realizing it so, _so _late, and vowed to pay each of the AVALANCHE members a personal visit with a formal apology gift basket.

"And I will warn you again," the blond said and opened his eyes again to stare at Tom to convey the seriousness of the situation. "I might get into dangerous situations that is very unsuitable for… minors," -_ such as eco-terrorism or mercenary work- _his mind unhelpfully supplied, "You were there when the muggers jumped me when we were leaving the inn. Others might come after me for different reasons and they could consider you as collateral damage."

Tom's smirk only grew. "I've seen you fight my Basilisk. And the dull idiots who attacked you." He brushed away a non-existent speck of dust in his robe before continuing, "If anything happened, then I would be safer with _you _than anywhere else."

Draco looked mystified for a moment, until he caught himself. "So you really fought the Basilisk? I didn't _entirely _believe what the Gryffindors were blabbering but I guess I should have-" Draco stopped for a moment to swivel towards Tom. "And you were in Hogwarts? I don't remember _you _." He finished with a small frown but gave a small wince when he noticed the cool expression on the taller student. Still, he refused to budge on his question, turning up his nose in a show of bravado.

Well, Cloud didn't know the history of Hogwarts students, but he would step in if they came to blows. But now, he was just going to leave the kids trying to one-up each other with their weird sense of competitiveness.

"Draco, they are _guests _," Narcissa's voice interrupted, and everybody turned towards the door to see the two Malfoys. Tom gave Lucius a small smile, and the elder blanched before surreptitiously tightening the grip on the hand of his wife.

Seriously. What kind of things did Tom say to him? He looked _terrified_ of Tom but hid it well.

Narcissa gave her husband a reassuring squeeze and they entered the room in measured steps and sat down on the chairs across, not a fold of dress out of place. Within those brief moments of absence, the head of the Malfoy household seemed to have aged a couple of years. His face was ashen, and Cloud spied a small tremor in his hand where he was definitely _not _holding a walking stick.

"Mr. Strife, please disregard the eagerness of Draco. He still has much to learn," Lucius said, keeping his eyes firmly on the swordsman.

"It's not a problem," the blond replied thrown off by the sudden change in the Malfoy patriarch. "He was just curious and I could answer some of his questions," he added when he noticed Draco looking chastised. Cloud wasn't bothered by Draco's enthusiasm, but the spiky haired blond figured that the Malfoys were following some kind of 'elite etiquette' that many of the Upper plate dwellers of Midgar used to be sensitive about.

He mentally shrugged.

"...Tom and I conversed, and it has come to my attention that you are looking for work," Lucius said somewhat uncertainly for his haughty demeanor earlier, "and Narcissa and I believe we could offer you something for a short while."

Cloud's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Tom was surprisingly perceptive, if he saw Cloud surreptitiously glancing at job opening sections in the newspapers. Then again, Cloud wasn't subtle with his bartering regarding his services in exchange for accommodations. He never used any money either.

"What did you say your profession was?" Narcissa asked.

"I didn't say. I used to deliver."

"You cared for owls? I thought you said you were a medi-wizard!" Draco sounded dismayed, and Cloud shook his head. "I'm kind of a mercenary. Being a medic was more of a side job." -Along with being a Chocobo racer and breeder, professional snowboarder, monster hunter, sometimes tomb raider, and occasional bouncer for Tifa's bar- he counted mentally.

He really was a mercenary, wasn't he? Even if some of those jobs didn't pay.

Lucius cut in, "Then you heard about the rising disquiet among wizards and witches." Cloud nodded, only because Dumbledore had said the exact same thing before. "We... are in a prominent position in the society and for that, our family has been subject to numerous situations. We'd like you to… keep an eye out for us."

He opened his mouth to protest, but the jangle of a small pouch hitting the table interrupted him. Lucius continued, "You will be paid handsomely, of course."

Were they trying to buy him off?

"You must know that I'm not from around here, and I know absolutely next to _nothing _regarding you, and the people here, right?" Cloud said, crossing his arms.

"Then we will pay you to be our own medi-wizard. You said so yourself, that you used to be one. With your current magic, you are _better _than any medi-witch or wizard currently in our vicinity. If anything, _anything _happened to Draco, or us…" Narcissa spoke instead and trailed off meaningfully, softly laying a hand on her husband's arm. Lucius briefly looked over to Tom and immediately averted his eyes.

"Mother, father, what is going on?" Draco looked uncertain when his parents showed the first signs of _fear _towards something. Cloud could relate to the kid. What was going on here? Why the sudden desperation?

"How big of a danger?" Cloud asked as well.

"Dangerous enough," Lucius answered curtly, his eyes briefly shifting to look at Tom and back at Cloud with a slight grimace. "And do not worry, Draco. Everything is under control." The blond kid didn't seem convinced but offered a shaky nod to his father.

Did Tom _threaten _Lucius? Why the sudden change in attitude?

"Is this… related to the dark lord of yours?"

At that, the Malfoy elder definitely stiffened, but gave a shake of his head. If Cloud wasn't used to checking the condition of his party before a big fight, Cloud wouldn't have noticed either.

"Just...others."

Right. And Cloud was a chocobo.

"You can ask your own government for protection details, right? I can't be at two places at once." Cloud uncrossed his arms, and glanced at Tom who would probably keep following him if he accepted the job. He couldn't look after Tom _and _another family at the same time. If he couldn't dissuade one he would try the other.

"Our enemies are many… but we can manage. We can give you a portkey that has access to our manor. Our grounds are protected with anti-apparition wards, so you'll have no trouble if you need to be here as soon as possible if either of us is… indisposed." Lucius quickly answered, and Narcissa continued, "we would be willing to give you more if you gave priority to our son."

"Mother? Father?" Draco definitely looked afraid now as well.

Cloud didn't know what a portkey was, but the fear on their faces was definitely real. Whatever that might be targeting them was a current enemy, -unlike the dark lord problem that didn't exist yet, but probably was related anyway- and if the sudden change of attitude of the self-important Malfoy head was any evidence, then it was close by. Probably related to Tom as well, but _that _was a problem for another day.

Why was he always tangled in trouble?

Cloud sighed. "If I see other people with more severe injuries, I will treat them first-"

"As long as you get to our family, it is acceptable," Lucius answered.

"And I might not even be certified by your current doctors' viewpoint-"

"I saw your work first hand with my plant and I heard about the students you cured from Draco. It is more than professional," Narcissa interrupted.

"I _will _end the contract early if I find a way back home-"

"As long as you tend to our family beforehand, then we will accept it."

They were dead set on this, weren't they? Cloud bit back another sigh and gestured towards Tom who was looking _immensely _entertained by this back and forth. Nope, not going to deal with Tom right now. A last ditch effort then.

"_ He _might follow me when I'm looking after a patient," Cloud jabbed a thumb at Tom next to him, "I can't guarantee a Patient Confidentiality clause with him literally trailing after my shadow." Even the kids of Edge knew when he was tending to an emergency patient and stayed away. And yet some people complained at him that he had violated the trust of the patient because some more curious kids were in the neighborhood.

There was a small pause until Lucius finally said, "As long as you are there with _Tom _at _all times _, then we can overlook the issue."

Cloud was baffled. They had to be the first people who were okay with the fact that somebody completely unrelated to them might come and see the patch job. Then again, they seemed desperate enough to ignore the one thing that others held as the crux of doctor-patient relationships. If they didn't have a problem with it, then Cloud wasn't going to fight for it either.

He _did _need the money. Especially if Tom was being as persistent as ever and planning to stick around him. Cloud had to restock supply for two, instead of one. He _could _still live using Tent within the forest, but if Tom was going to follow him everywhere, then the blond didn't want the teen eating only one kind of hunted food or catching a nasty bug. Esuna couldn't cure normal sickness, and he wouldn't be able to explain anything to the doctors without any form of identification or paperwork.

He gingerly picked up the pouch on the table and counted the unfamiliar gold coins that weighted more than he expected.

At least now he had a way to earn income that didn't involve manipulative, shady headmasters with vague promises or being the unwanted bouncer of a shadier bar/inn.

He sighed again.

"Fine. I'll be your primary medic for now." Cloud readjusted his leather gloves and his ribbon in his bicep and pocketed the small pouch _filled _with coins. He stood up and grabbed his Fusion Sword.

Right, before he forgot about it- "Oh, and I think Tom stole your cane."

The taller blond's face changed expressions too fast for him to decipher, but at last the taller man closed his eyes and said in a defeated voice, "It was… a gift."

Tom couldn't have looked more satisfied.

* * *

a.n: Wow two updates in two days when I have nothing pre-written! That's new for me haha. Please don't expect it to be a constant either. And here we start with the canon divergence. Harry doesn't rely or trust Dumbledore as fast (and as much) as he did in the movies, Cloud kept the diary so Harry freed Dobby using another book tricking Lucius, and more.  
I used to use Cloud as my main magic caster in the game and it shows here heh.

Tom is a sly sly teen.

Thank you for your favorites, follows, and reviews! I love all of them to bits!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Definitely don't own.

* * *

Ron scowled and kicked a fallen newspaper out of his path. They _could _have gone to visit their brother Charlie and see the dragons, or visit a beach where the weather wasn't rainy and cloudy all the time.

But nooooo. They had to remain here because it was _dangerous _.

Mum was being downright overbearing with her fussing, especially after the Headmaster had dropped for a visit and asked after Ginny. He left and his sister had been angry and upset, and he didn't know what to do to help her and when he had tried to ask, she had screamed at him and threw him a pillow!

Fred and George were being a pain as always, but when they realized Ginny's threats to permanently turn their tongues blue was actually real, they started tiptoeing around her and instead started picking on him. Again.

He couldn't even talk to Harry or Hermione right now, not after Fred had tried to feed Scabbers to Errol and Dad had prevented them _all _from coming close to the old owl!  
His friends had advised Ron to keep quiet about the things that happened in the Chamber, especially with Tom Riddle out and about and the weirdo with the sword, but the entire thing was driving Ron up the wall.

Ron kicked the newspaper again when it fluttered just a few feet away from him. He scowled at it again when it didn't fly away at all.

So: not going anywhere during summer vacations, at least not until the hairy situation with Ginny was resolved, no talking to anybody about what happened in the Chamber a week and a half ago, and no contact with Harry or Hermione.

At least mum was okay with him visiting Hogsmeade for the weekend as long as he was with Percy and Ginny during the entire trip. He sneaked a glance at his sister, but she was just frowning at the people, clear distrust in her eyes.

"Ginny, what d'you wanna do? Mum said that this outing was for you, so…"

He scratched his head when she only looked away. Did sisters have to be so complicated?

"If… if you want to talk about what happened in-"

"I'm _fine _, Ron!"

He took a step back by Ginny's outburst, and she reddened. "Sorry, it's just that I'm really fine, but mum and dad and now you are hovering and it's maddening!" She huffed and crossed her arms, and Ron mumbled, "Okay, sure…"

She didn't look fine at all, with small dark circles under her eyes and constantly looking at people with wariness but Ron didn't know what to do or say to make her feel better. Maybe Hermione could help by talking to her? He didn't know if his sister had any friends in her year, and he felt bad about not paying more attention.

"Well, if you don't want to go anywhere in particular, we can ditch Percy and visit Zonko's, y'know?"

She quirked a small smile at his obvious efforts of cheering her up, and Ron inwardly sighed in gratitude. Finally!

Ron looked back to see his brother Percy just a few steps away from them, lightly keeping an eye on them but also looking interested in some stuffy quills or something. Thank Merlin he didn't overhear that. He would have been all lecture mode saying 'oh, Ron you can't do that, mum left me in charge and you could put Ginny in danger! Think about somebody else for once' or something insufferable like that.

He walked behind Ginny looking at the different shops distracted and almost ran into her when she stopped and pointed,

"Is that Cloud?"

Ron's head whipped to see where Ginny was gesturing at, and he found the shock of sunny hair sitting in a table outside a dessert shop with two other people next to him.

It _was _him! Merlin's beard, he needed to tell Harry or Hermione right now- and _what was she doing? _

"Ginny! Wait!"

He barely caught up to her when she strode to the table looking like an angry goblin, and he froze when he realized that the two other kids next to Cloud were Draco Malfoy and Tom Riddle.

Oh, no. He _seriously _needed to tell Harry or Hermione. Why didn't he know any spells that could send instantaneous messages?

"_ You _!" His sister's angry voice turned the heads of other wizards and witches and he just gave them an apologetic smile and a nod, and he hurried to be next to her hoping that the young You-know-who didn't blast her into ashes or something.

"Ginny, wait, you can't-"

"How could you _be _here! I thought you were destroyed when Fawkes came for us!"

Tom gave her a slight rise of eyebrows, and reclined in his chair disinterestedly. Next to him, Cloud was looking perplexed and Draco alternated between looking like he wanted to say something nasty at Ginny and looking prim and proper like a 'Malfoy' in front of the swordsman.

He gave them an angry glare as well.

"Oh, you were the ginger kids in the chamber," the blond spoke up recognizing her and she swiveled her glare at him and he blinked.

"And are you helping him? After everything _he _put us through?!"

Draco stood up and snapped, "You don't know what you are talking about, Weasley! Go back to your dirty house and-"

"Draco."

At the blond's stern warning, Draco clammed up and grudgingly sat back down on the chair, and viciously stabbed the ice-cream in front of him glaring at Ron and Ginny. Heh, serves you right, you stuffy-

"Would you like to sit down? You are causing a scene," the blond continued and Ginny reddened but Ron hastily grabbed a chair from the next table and dragged Ginny onto it, then sliding onto another one as well, never looking away from Draco, or Merlin's beard, _Tom _who was _Voldemort! _

He hoped Percy found them in time if any of them decided to turn him or Ginny into Jelly or _worse _, spiders.

Ron shuddered. Meanwhile, Ginny crossed her arms next to him and hissed, "So, are you helping him?" with a sharp cock of her head towards Tom who was looking bored of the entire thing.

Cloud sighed. "No, he is just following me." He paused before glancing sideways looking at the dark lord, "And also, how many people did you antagonize? This is the fourth time we came across somebody who looked like they wanted to boil you alive."

You-know-who in disguise just smiled serenely and took a sip of the cup on the table. "I did summon a basilisk in the chamber."

Ron could feel his ears heating up, and he couldn't help but to shout, "You _tried _to kill Ginny!"

"_ Tried, _being the imperative word, here."

Ginny looked incredulous by his nonchalant answer, and stood up scraping her chair on the floor and banged her hands on the table. "You released a basilisk inside the school and wanted to kill Harry!"

"And who is still breathing? My basilisk or your precious friend?"

"You are Vol-!"

"Ah, wouldn't want to draw the attention of Death Eaters now, would you?"

Ron couldn't believe his ears. After all he put Harry, he, Hermione, and Ginny through, he was happily drinking tea out in the open?

"And you would know, wouldn't you?" He waspishly asked, glaring at Draco as well.

"You never even apologized for, for, _everything! _" She screamed, and Ron found himself nodding. He glared at Draco when he tried to open his mouth in protest, and he itched to hex them all.

"So sorry. I apologize for my actions," Tom didn't sound sorry at all, and Ron pulled out his wand to level it at him. Ginny did the same and Draco pulled his aiming it at Ron, and Tom raised another eyebrow, not even twitching.

That smug little-!

"Could we all _stop _with the threatening for a moment?" Cloud said, massaging his temples and Ron turned his crooked wand toward the blond. He didn't care if the swordsman killed the basilisk in the chamber, if he was going to help the dark lord, then he _had _to do something, at least until others came to help.

Cloud didn't seem worried or bothered, and turned his attention away from Ron and pinned the dark student with an unnerving stare instead. "Tom. That reminded me, I won't stop you from following me but I _will _if you don't curb your bloodthirst. You can practice your magic all you want on me, or on a patch of empty grass, but _never _on another student. Got it?"

Tom's face darkened and his placid features turned into something _ugly _and Ron couldn't stop the shiver raking through his body. He could side-eye Ginny also fighting the urge to hunch her shoulders in defense, and even Draco was practically curled up in his seat, trying to avoid eye contact with the taller student.

"Got it?" Cloud repeated again, when Tom remained silent.

"...I understand."

His features smoothed out into pleasantness, but Ron wasn't fooled. He could see the knuckles of Tom turning white by the grip he had on the teacup, even if his smile was something out of the stupid girly magazines Ginny liked to read occasionally.

Cloud turned to them again, and flapped his hands. "You guys should sit down again as well. You can keep aiming your wands if you like, but seriously. I won't let anybody here harm the other," he glanced at Draco with his wand out as well and added, "On _both _sides."

Ron squinted at him trying to figure out if he was up to any fishy business, but the blond seemed sincere enough. And his raised arm was starting to hurt as well.

When he sat down gingerly, he spied Ginny shooting him a look of dismayed betrayal, but he mouthed, _what? Any better ideas? _ and she followed him with an angry pout.

"And Draco, stop being hostile to others. I don't know what's your beef with him," Cloud gestured at Ron and he had to scowl, "but I won't heal you if you get into a fight because you wanted to prove your ego."

"But he's a traitor!"

Cloud only stared flatly. "To whom?"

Ron had the time of his life looking the high and mighty Malfoy being rendered speechless and fumbling for an answer, so he had to answer instead, "To all pure-bloods, apparently."

Draco flushed angrily by having his words thrown back at him, but he only hunched his shoulders slightly not even giving Ron a comeback.

Cloud sighed at their interactions, -_ what, it wasn't Ron's fault Malfoy was always such a git _\- and slid a menu towards them. When Ginny glared, he pointed at Draco's half melted ice-cream and Tom's tea before saying, "Do you want anything? You can have something, and I'd prefer if everyone had a fuller stomach before continuing this… high tension confrontation." He ran a hand over his ridiculous blond spikes.

Ron snorted. He thought he imagined the hairdo in the cavern, but they seemed natural! Were those spikes even real? Not even Gilderoy Lockhart used _that _much product on his stupid hair.

His sister sulkily pointed at an image of a chocolate cake after a bout of silence, and slid the menu towards him. Ron picked a lemon flavored sherbet and Cloud nodded placing their orders as well.

When they finally got their orders and were digging in their sweets, Cloud asked, "So, what is a pure-blood?"

Ron felt his eyebrows climb up and shared an incredulous look with Ginny. Draco next to him choked on his next spoonful and Tom coughed lightly on his tea.

He was being all friendly with the biggest Death Eater family and the potential dark lord and he didn't know?

Was he for _real _?

* * *

Cloud reclined on the seat, slightly frowning when the sunlight hit directly on his face and angled himself to avoid the harsh glare. The kids in the table were still angry, but they had started digging in to their chosen food fortunately.

He was slightly relieved. People tended to be less aggressive when they had something to eat, -_ As Barret had shown him first-hand during their stake-outs under the plates of Midgar _\- and the kids seemed to be the case as well.

Frankly, he was fine with Draco and Tom tagging along after finalizing the details of the Primary medic job for the Malfoys, but Tom had made himself an utter _shit _whenever Cloud tried to shift his attention to the youngest in their group. Nothing concrete, but the subtle intimidation jabs, caustic wit, and general… _Tom-ness _was starting to wear down on everybody.

So, he pulled the emergency foodie card he and Tifa often used to settle spiked tempers and unstable atmospheres. He had chosen the first dessert shop he saw after the Malfoys _graciously _apparated them to the closest village, gave the kids a menu each and sat down to wait.

And thank Ramuh, it had worked. Tom's artificial politeness faded into something more natural, and even Draco started talking again when he realized he wasn't going to get snapped at.

Seriously, Denzel and Marlene were more mature than these two. And one of them was at least sixteen, for Gaia's sake!

The arrival of the red-headed kids was the icing on the cake. The tension skyrocketed _again _, everybody pulled their wands on each other -the redheaded boy had a broken wand _taped _together, what the hell- Tom just stroked the tempers of everybody and Cloud was _tired _of the animosity.

He needed to address the constant enmity that Tom and Draco almost always displayed towards others _right now _. He wasn't going to drop the kid, but Cloud _needed _to make sure Tom knew the limits he was willing to tolerate. The same applied to Draco as well.

Cloud sighed internally when he heard the reluctance in Tom's assurance, but he didn't press the teen. As long as Tom showed that he would keep his word then Cloud wouldn't bring it up again either.

The mood of the table was downright gloomy after the clipped conversation, so he used the emergency foodie card. _Again _. He couldn't really say anything to cheer the kids or help solve whatever issues these kids had. The ice-breaking or mood-making was always on Yuffie or Barret actually, and Cloud ranked right next to Vincent when it came to being able to cheer somebody up.

What did Cid say once? '_You pasty assclowns would do better to stand in as the fucking furniture in the Shera with the amount of talking you do! You make Palmer's funeral look happy comparison to your grumpiness!'_

Tifa had chimed in, '_ I thought you hated Palmer and laughed during his funeral?' _

_'Exactly!' _

Cloud may not have been gifted with talking or mood-making skills as Cid had so eloquently put it, but at least he could look after these kids only if they would _stop _trying to strike each other on sight.

He ordered another pint of ice-cream for Draco and a different blend of tea for Tom, _just _in case they finished their desserts too early and started being hostile to everybody again.  
The red-headed kids, - _Ron and Ginny, he remembered _\- were also digging in with gusto even if their suspicious glances didn't quite disappear.

At least, this was _infinitely _better than having them point wands at each other.

He was going to order something for himself as well when he realized he had to ask a question regarding a particular word the Malfoys, Tom, and even Draco stressed often.

"So, what is a pure-blood?" -_ Along with mudblood, muggles, the whole wand pointing- _he listed them mentally. The people here had a tendency to assume something and jump the gun, and he couldn't find himself somebody who was open or at least, friendly enough to ask the basic questions. Gaia, even Dumbledore had just explained about the rise of the dark lord as a megalomaniac who got rid of whoever stood in his path, and didn't bother with the details.

When he realized his question was only answered with an incredulous silence, Cloud sighed internally again.

"How can you _not _know that?" Ron asked, crunching on the ice of his sherbet.

"If you couldn't tell, I'm from somewhere really far away. We didn't have anything related to…" Cloud fumbled for an explanation. Secret wizard society? Magic schools? Oddly trigger happy children and adults? He eventually settled on, "the terms people keep using here."

That seemed to assuage some of the distrust, and Ginny huffed.

"It's a term to refer to nobility." Tom smoothly interjected and Draco preened until he realized he was agreeing with Tom, and the redheaded kids bristled at his explanation.

"No, it really is not!" Ginny bit back, and Ron nodded as well. He added, "It's just a made-up thing that_ some _" Ron glared at Malfoy who defiantly stared back, "like to use to pretend they are pricks."

Draco angrily stood up. "Watch yourself, Weasley!"

Ron also rose in tandem, ears flushed. "Try me, you git!"

"You won't like what my father can-"

"Go on, then! Go back to your father!"

"Oh, you'll regret this-!"

"Stop it, both of you."

Cloud nursed another mild headache when the kids refused to budge, but slunk back to their chairs after more heated glares.

Seriously, these kids.

"...It refers to the wizarding families that don't have a muggle born relative." Tom mildly added after a small pause. Cloud only raised an eyebrow.

"And that means…?"

"Non-magical folk." Ginny spoke up, unwilling to let Tom get another word in.

Cloud stilled. So, the entire animosity between the kids was related to something built on uncertain foundations? He lips twitched slightly at the memory that rose from his mind.

Yuffie had explained one day that some Wutai nobility extremists advocated marriage between only the 'elite' of the country for a 'return to their traditional roots' as a ploy to marry into the royal Kisaragi family after Shinra had finished their war.

Given how there were only 10 'high nobility' lines, and around 20 'low nobility' ones, the claims of intermarriage would have ended up with very close families marrying each other, but the 'high nobility' families were very explicit about only holding up the 'sanctity' of the blood through marrying others with distinguished lines.

Godo refused to budge, seeing the political ploy a mile away, and had given Yuffie free reign to deal with the 'suitors'.

The ninja had told them with glee during a drunken downtime of AVALANCHE about the faces of those extremists when she had dug up the ancient records of family names and births of their 'ancestors' who actually were 'common blood' and gained the title only after they amassed their riches or influence.

Obviously they didn't react well to the news, and almost committed 'treason of highest order' for trying to raise a blade against the Wutai princess, and they had been swiftly dealt with.

Or, as Yuffie put it, "_ Only had their entire name dragged into the floor which is the _worst punishment _in Wutai and they had to cough up all their riches to the crown for their transgressions! Muehehe, you should have seen their crying faces! Ha! Uglier than my advisor, and he looks like he's constantly constipated with a raging hemorrhoid on his ass-!" _

_"Yo! That's nasty!" Barret had clamped his hands on his ears sloshing his drink out of its cup, and Yuffie just stuck her tongue out. Nanaki snorted, and Tifa smiled at their antics and only added more logs to their campfire that was sputtering out. Cid had drunkenly passed out next to an offline Cait and Vincent only activated the Fire materia to fuel the fire again. _

_"Aaaaaanyway, Wutai is gazillion times older than any of your puny towns and cities, so it has a lot of stuff in its history, okay? Trust me, stuffy idiots wanting to inbreed was the _least _weird in those records!" _

_"That reminds me, how did you find them? I would think people like them were paranoid and covered their tracks… at least," Tifa had asked putting down her cup when the implications of Yuffie's declaration was sinking in. _

_"Weeeeeeell, yeah you are right Teefs! But never underestimate the paranoia of rich families writing down _everything _in their books to prevent claims of … parentalness… paternalness… pater… peter… ugh, a dude or dudette suddenly appearing out of nowhere to claim inheritance! Hah! Thank Leviathan for their ridiculous paranoia that rivals Shinra on loco weed shitting on themselves!" _

_Barret had thrown some of the emergency rations at Yuffie's head growling, "That's disgusting!" _

_"Hah! More food for me you big lump!" _

After everybody else had gone to their tents and only he and Yuffie remained vigil over the embers of the fire, the boisterous ninja looked at him solemnly without a trace of her tawdry behavior earlier. She stood up, looking up at the night sky and had said in a low voice, "_ I'm going to become empress of Wutai one day, and I know I have a duty to my people. But if I allow those kinds of worms fester inside my country then I won't be able to be there for them. That's why I'm here joining you. I want a future for my people, I want them to hold their heads high, proud of who we are and how far we've come. Wutai understanding and embracing herself, all the good and bad, and becoming better! And I'm not going to allow a stupid rock dropping on the Planet to take that chance for my people away!" _

_"Don't worry. We'll stop Sephiroth and Meteor no matter what it takes." _

_"HA! I'm counting on you, leader! If I don't get my chance to yell at those worms wriggling in Wutai after everything then I'm going to use the thousand year old curse on you that only the royal family knows how to break! You'll have smelly feet and a raging headache for all eternity and you'll have to grovel on your knees to my dead spirit asking for forgiveness!" _

_A smile. "I don't doubt it." _

"Hellooo?"

Cloud started out of his memory, to find all four kids on the table staring at him.

"Sorry, got lost in my thoughts for a moment." He tried to ignore the pull in his chest whenever he thought of his friends, focusing on the kids instead. He _could _go home, he only had to find a way.

"You looked like you were going to say something," Draco said nibbling on the spoon.

"Oh, right. You guys realize that the 'pure-bloods' that you name are probably not as 'pure' in heritage?" At their confused expressions, he added, "They probably started as an ordinary family that got magic as some form of genetic mutation." Or, that was the basic of what Reeve and some researchers of the WRO had theorized regarding why some people in the Planet could use materia more easily than the others, had a larger or smaller inner magic reserve, etc.

Cloud blinked when Draco and Tom stiffened in anger or agitation, the latter leaving his cup with a forceful _clink! _on the table, and the former gradually reddening into the shade of sunburn. The Weasley kids looked floored by his words, as if they didn't expect him to dismiss the implications of the word so easily.

Oh, maybe he shouldn't have said that so bluntly. It _was _a testy subject for the kids. Cloud cursed himself for his lack of foresight.

"Sorry. Just my thoughts about it."

Tom leered, "Oh, no. _Please _enlighten us." Ron nodded enthusiastically as well before settling down at Tom's frigid glance, while Ginny made a face. "Genetic mutation? Sounds weird… Is it a bad thing?"

Cloud blinked and shook his head again. They didn't know about genes or cells? What was with their education program? First with no summon safety, and now no basic education either? Even emergency schools set up in Edge had biology as well as magic casting and safety into its curriculum. And it wasn't this world's problem either. He had seen cars, trains, and another town in the distance when he had been wandering aimlessly during his job searching, and had seen an oddly sleek-looking airship on the air as well, so he was certain _this _world _had _its technology and science.

Or maybe it was only these wizards.

"Wait, before that, _how _segregated is this place from others?" When they remained silent, he lightly gestured at the village and the kids again, "From the non-magical people and the wizards like you."

At that, the kids' eyes lit up and Ron scrunched his face thinking. "Well, uhh… I know that wizards have to dress up as muggles when we are interacting with them? Or that's what my dad said. He studies muggles, you see."

Ginny nodded and twirled the fork in her hand distractedly, thinking as well. "Mum said that muggles and witches used to live together, but it went hairy really fast. So now it's a secret?"

So it was an almost absolute segregation between the non-magical people and the magical ones, practically living on two completely different ways.

That… was worrying.

"Now, will you explain what you meant by your earlier comment?" Tom said caustically, reclining on the chair and tucking a lock of dark hair behind his ear. Draco continued to play with his spoon, all interest in the ice-cream gone.

"Our bodies are made up of cells, right?"

At their blank stare, Cloud fished out a pen and one of the delivery slips from his pockets and started to draw a basic diagram of the human body. The Weasley kids seemed extremely interested in the clicking pen, but he continued to draw.

When he had a squiggly something that resembled a human, he put down the pen and held up the drawing for the kids to see.

"Right then. This is the human body." At Draco's small snort, Cloud's lips twitched as well but carried on. Not his fault he didn't have a single drawing cell in his body.

"You have your organs, like the lung, or the liver, the entire cardiovascular system, which is the veins and the heart that carry the blood everywhere, you have the bones, and more."

When the kids nodded, he drew a small arrow out of the body and drew a flattened circle and pointed at it with his pen.

"All those things we have in our bodies are actually made up of a smaller component, that we call cells. They are like the building blocks of our entire body system. They constantly replicate and die to keep our bodies functioning." He hummed for a moment before adding, "Think of our body as a giant machine, and our cells as its cogs and bolts working to keep it from falling apart. With time, they rust and we have to swap them out to new ones to keep the entire thing working."

"Like a train?" Ginny piped up, and Cloud's lips twitched into a small smile.

"Sure, let's go with that." He drew a squiggle that he _hoped _it looked like a cog. "Like all trains that have blueprints, these cells also have a blueprint of our bodies so when they fill up the gaps, they know what they are doing."

Tom inclined his head to get a better view of the crude drawing and smirked at it as well. "Are these cells magic then?"

"Not quite. They are just automatic processes so you don't give them a specific order like you do with magic casting." Tom frowned and Cloud continued, "The reason your hair is red, or yours is blond is also related to how your bodies have their blueprints mapped out."

Cloud sent a silent apology to every single WRO researcher out there for his oversimplification of… everything, actually.

"But sometimes, these blueprints change suddenly giving unexpected results."

Draco asked, "Such as?"

Cloud fished for something that wouldn't be too extreme, such as the single black wing on Sephiroth or the Unknown experiments abroad the sunken Gelnika. In fact, almost all his encounters with genetic mutations had been extreme, wasn't it? Even he himself probably had more mutations in his body than the rest of the AVALANCHE combined, absolutely no thanks to Hojo and his frequent dunks into mako and the Lifestream.

He tried not to let his sour mood bleed onto his voice. "Like… different colored eyes or more hair."

The kids scoffed. "That sounds dumb."

"So what does this have anything to do with pure-bloods?" Tom asked, his impatience only showing through the subtle tap of his fingers on the table.

"Probably, the ability of wizards to use magic was suddenly developed through one of these mutations across time after two completely non-magical people started their families. But imagine an entire city of non-magical couples and multiply that for every single city out there. Chances are that out of those thousands and thousands of people, some started to show the ability to use magic because of these changes in the blueprints of their cells."

The younger kids looked both fascinated and disgusted at the same time, while Tom only frowned deeper.

"That doesn't sound very likely. Wizards could always use magic since times immemorial." The dark teen objected after a pensive silence. The other kids also nodded until they realized what they were doing and scowled at the taller teen.

"I'm not saying it happened overnight. But the process happened or has been happening gradually for a very long time now." What did Reeve say about mutations regarding the evolution process of people on Gaia…?

Right.

"Don't you have friends or family members who can't _do _magic despite being from a wizard family? Or people who had completely non-magical parents but suddenly exhibited the ability to do magic?"

There was a stunned silence.

Then, all the eyes on the table widened and Ron whispered, "muggle-born wizards and witches!" while Draco added, "And squibs!" They shared a look of surprise and wonder across the table and their faces split into grins until Tom cleared his throat and they both recoiled and scowled at each other again.

Cloud sighed.

"So I'm guessing there are. Anyway, what I meant by all that was that the whole term of 'pure-blood' probably is false because of the origin of the ability itself was from, in your terms, 'muggles'."

He finished drawing a general heritage tree line with the annotations of 'no-magic', 'magic' on the hypothetical portraits of the family and showed it to the kids. And he was done talking. Nope, he wasn't going to talk until next year or something. He clicked the pen and put it away into his pant pocket, while Ginny leaned in to get a better look of all the drawing so he slid the paper to her.

Ron looked over the paper as well looking fascinated until he looked up and asked, "Does that mean families" he glanced at Draco and Tom and quickly looked away and lowered his voice to say, "that _marry their own cousins _may not be as powerful or purely magical either?"

Next to Cloud Draco looked like he was about to vomit, so Cloud debated throwing a Cure to the kid before answering distractedly, "Uh, yeah. Probably. Inbreeding is not a very…" Cloud raked his brain for a suitable word, "healthy practice to have in the long term. You may get children who are more prone to diseases of the mind, body, or who are more emotionally unstable..." The blond trailed off, letting the kids fill in the gaps.

He noticed that Draco was _definitely _looking ill, so he fished a remedy from his pocket and gave it to him ordering a glass of water for the kid as well, and both the Weasley kids alternated between looking engrossed and repulsed at the diagram.

Was his explanation too strong? Cloud felt a stab of doubt and guilt looking at the wildly different reactions of the children sitting around the table. Ifrit, he seriously needed to work on his talking skills. He never thought his explanations were lacking since Denzel and Marlene had always understood, but maybe his adopted kids were the exception, not the norm.

"Excuse me for a moment," Tom rigidly stood up scraping his chair shrilly on the floor that had Cloud wincing, and strode away, tension running through his ramrod straight back and shoulders.

Cloud watched with concern at the retreating figure that soon disappeared around a building, before shaking his head. Tom always seemed to be able to take care of himself, even when he followed Cloud into the forest, but the unrest the dark student was exhibiting was worrying.

The blond decided he would keep an eye out for danger.

But he couldn't stop the sudden foreboding in his gut when he realized that he didn't know he worried for Tom or for the bystanders that stood in Tom's black mood.

* * *

a.n:I'm sorry if Ron seems ooc. I can't get a grasp on his character, since in the movies he is just the 'loyal and brave' friend who sometimes acts as the comic relief and is sometimes insensitive. And I_ definitely_ don't think Ginny got over the trauma of being brain-controlled and almost being the reason students were put in danger so fast (or easily) as shown in the end of the 2nd movie. So, I'm taking liberties regarding a more worried Ron and a more wary Ginny.

And now I know how I want this fic to end, but I can't imagine the process to get there ugggh. (My long standing problem when I don't plan fics and just follow inspiration uhhhg) Updates will be spottier than before (this month is packed and will be _hell_ my writing schedule) but bear with me.

A huuuge thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, or left a review on this fic! You guys really make my day!

edit: Thank you Suzululu4moe for the correction regarding Charlie as a brother, not a cousin! It has been corrected!


	6. Chapter 6

The Golden trio! Hopefully it won't be too boring or confusing. Also, the correct format of this fic shows up in Ao3 under the same name, so I would recommend reading this chapter there. FF won't allow strike-through formats to show, unfortunately. So, just imagine the bold underlines being strike through-ed words.

Don't own again.

* * *

**Dear Harry,**

**Can you believe that mum grounded us for the whole summer vacation?**

**How have you been? I'm sorry this letter is so late (Fred did something to our owl and dad prohibited us from sending anything)**

**Anyway, I'm fine and Ginny is also getting better and last weekend mum finally let us visit Hogsmeade and guess who we saw? The spiky haired weird bloke from the you-know-where with the you-know-who! Ginny ****almost** **flipped when we saw he was drinking tea with Draco Malfoy and You-know-who from the Chamber!**

**We had ditched Percy (it's a long story) and we were looking around and they were just there? **

**And get this: He is actually an okay guy? ****His sword is really huge and his hair is so weird ****and we learned science! Did you know about the whole 'cel' thing and inner biology? I've never seen a wizard explain the human body like that! And now we might have an answer regarding how the whole squibs and muggle-born wizards and witches! You ****_had _****to see Draco's ugly mug when I asked about purebloods and everything ha. He looked like he was about to puke!**

**You-know-who got really pissy and left after a while, and Cloud got us (Ginny and me) cake and sherbet, and the biggest thing? **

**I think he is a muggle-born too. ****I really wish I had a camera to forever keep Draco's face when he probably realized as well**

**He showed us this weird thing that lit up and showed numbers? It looked like a ridiculously tiny typewriter with small keys and buttons. **

**Anyway, Ginny wouldn't stop talking about the cels and the human biology to mum and dad and I'm glad that dad wasn't there with us or he would have invited Cloud over too. ****And if it wasn't for Draco and You-know-who I would have been on board**

**I seriously miss Hogwarts and you guys ****don't tell Hermione**

**Best,**

**Ron**

* * *

_Dear Harry, _

_How are you? My parents and I decided to visit France for a week and it was wonderful! But it's not the same without you guys. I can't wait for us to start our third year at Hogwarts. I already bought the possible books we might use in our next year, and have starting reading them. _

_Did you buy your books as well? We only have a few weeks left, so it might be better to start early. I told Ron the same thing and he got all prickly so I'm reminding you just in case as well. After all, our third year will be more challenging and engaging! _

_Anyway, I don't know if Ron told you already, but I've been thinking about what happened in the Chamber and he told me how he encountered Cloud again, and I think we should keep an eye on him. Did the device that Ron explain sound like a pager to you? I looked up rare gadgets used in wizardry, but the only thing that seems to fit the description is the pager that my parents use in their clinic! _

_Why would a supporter of Dark Arts, like Ron said, carry a 'muggle' device then? _

_This is suspicious and maybe there is more than what we initially assumed during the Great Banquet where we discussed about how Cloud is following/helping You-know-who and Draco Malfoy. _

_We need plans, and fast. I may have something but I'd rather tell you guys in person. Ron told me how Cloud was planning on staying in Hogsmeade for the time being, which means we don't have much time before he leaves for somewhere else without us noticing. _

_Also, we might be able to keep an eye out for You-know-who if Cloud is close to him as Ron described. If there are problems, we can always let a teacher know to solve the issue. _

_Let me know if you have any questions, and hope you are doing well. _

_Hermione Granger _

* * *

Dear Ron and Hermione,

I'm glad you guys are alright. I'm also doing fine, but I haven't been anywhere during the vacations so far. Dudley got sick after eating something undercooked and Aunt Petunia got him hospitalized but nothing else.

Strangely, I heard from uncle Vernon's radio that there is a strange and dangerous sickness that started in Albania and is spreading to the neighboring countries. A lot of people died mysteriously so far, and the doctors can't seem to find the cause?

Stay safe guys.

And Hermione's idea of keeping an eye out for Cloud is a good idea! There were a lot things that didn't make sense at the time, and hopefully we'll be prepared if You-know-who pulls something in Hogwarts. But I don't think we can go to the adults with this (Headmaster Dumbledore wasn't very helpful with Voldemort so far) so we might need to come up with something by ourselves. And Ron's description of Cloud does sound like him being a muggle-born. (It sounds like biology how he described the cells? I don't remember Hogwarts teaching anything science related except for Potion making but I don't think that counts).

And if Hermione is right and it's a pager (don't worry I'll explain it to you Ron), how would it work in Hogsmeade? I thought everything electronic or 'muggle' didn't work in the wizarding world!

And no, Hermione, I haven't started reading any of the books yet.

If Cloud _is _a muggle born like Ron said and uses magic on muggle items to make them work, then I could check on the radio (uncle Vernon forgets that there is more than one channel so he won't notice if I switch it) for whatever strange things that happen?

Wish you the best,

Harry

* * *

**Dear Harry and Hermione,**

**Did you use magic to copy the letter to send to Hermione and me at the same time? **

**HA! I knew your cousin was a git but**

**You don't have to be worried about us Harry! Nothing much happened here, but the illness sounds like nasty stuff**

**Well I'm glad you are doing fine. Ginny was also being super annoying about reading your letters ****_I was not!_**** so she will write as well so you can see who is writing what **

**Anyway Ginny said you guys should know all the weird stuff that happened when we met with Cloud and you-know-who and Draco sooooo** **_ooo_**** -**

_**Ron is a lazy bum so Ill write them now:**_

_**\- His hair is too spiky**_

**\- _His sword is too big_**

_**\- He was drinking tea with Malfoy and You-know-who**_

_**\- Malfoy was really quiet**_

_**\- You-know-who was a big jerk but not as much **_

_**\- He gave Ron and me cake and sherbet**_

_**\- He didn't have a quill but something that made a clik clik sound **_

**SOrry Ginny just snatched the parchment from my desk so it looks wonky and what she wrote is right? They were very friendly to each other and to us? ****NOt really but You-know-who wasn't trying to turn us into spiders or jelly and Draco was a **

**As friendly as death eaters can be**

**_Ron doesn't know how to think before writing so its really messy_**

**Anyway if the thing was a pager (is it related to pages?) and he is a wizard with muggle connections then I'm going to check the Daily Prophet for anything weird too and Ginny will check The Quibbler**

_**No I won't Ron will check The Quibbler and Ill read Witch Weekly**_

**/**

**/**

**/**

**/**

**/**

**We will both check The Quibbler and let you guys know if something wonky is going on**

**Best,**

**Ron and Ginny**

* * *

_Dear Harry, Ron, and Ginny, _

_Ron, did you spill ink onto the letters before using the doubling charm? And don't use magic! It's not legal for us yet! And Harry used a carbon copy paper, which is used in muggle shops to make copies of papers. _

_And Harry, worry about yourself first! I heard about the illness here in France as well, but they seem to consider it more as a passing flu than a real threat so far. I'd rather not take any chances so I've learned (theoretically of course!) some healing charms and spells just in case, and I would encourage all of you to read a bit on medical spells. _

_We shouldn't bring attention to ourselves when there is so much we don't know yet. _

_The idea of checking the radio and the newspapers seem like a great idea! I will keep reading and researching about wizards that fit Cloud's description. _

_So far, I've found that there was a period in wizarding history where carrying swords as well as wands was popular. There was a whole period in muggle history where 'dueling' for honor with swords was popular, especially in the 14th through the 17th century and apparently the fad spread over to the wizarding communities as well! But wizards and witches found duelling with wands much easier than with swords so eventually the term 'duel' only remained for magical duels and not sword-fighting. _

_How interesting is that? _

_If you guys want to read more about it, it's in the 'Alternate booke of History of Muggles and Witches', by Sylbilpha Hugolinae that is still on print! I think I remember seeing a copy in the school libraries under the 'Fiction' section for some reason, but out of all the history books I've found and read, that one was the only one detailing the history of muggles along with the wizarding world so I'd recommend giving it a look. _

_Anyway, if Cloud is a figure who follows the strict honor code of wand and sword, then that means we can use it to our advantage. The followers of this code are honorbound to answer truthfully, to protect the weak against the strong, to raise arms against injustice and oppression, and such. _

_I don't know why Cloud would willingly follow You-know-who if he is supposed to follow those rules of conduct, but if we can confront him about it, then he may realize he has been standing in the wrong and help us instead. _

_What do you guys think? _  
_  
Best wishes,_

_Hermione Granger _

_P.s: Ginny's item n.7 sounds like a pen to me. So maybe Cloud is a wizard who __really __enjoys using muggle items? _

* * *

Dear Hermione and Ron,

No updates regarding the magical front, but apparently the illness has moved to Germany and further western Europe countries so it seems that it won't come this way for now.

Thank you Ron and Hermione for your concerns, but I'm doing fine! It's just boring without you guys.

Thank you Hermione but I don't think I can get to any magical libraries from here. Aunt Petunia became even more alert regarding what happens in her house, so nothing escapes her anymore.

So, from what Ron and Ginny told us about Cloud being very friendly(?) towards Draco and Voldemort but also Ron and Ginny, I guess he must really not know who Voldemort is to follow him? If he has to fight against injustice and oppression, he is following the wrong person, isn't he?

Maybe he really doesn't know? Or is there any other reason? (But still, the honor code thing makes sense, since he _did _help us in the Chamber right after seeing the basilisk, and cured you (Hermione) and other petrified students.

Then can anyone check on Hogsmeade to ask him about it?

And thank you Ginny (and Ron) for the information!

Also, Ginny's description also sounds like a pen to me as well? He did have something like a clipboard with him when we saw him first in the Chamber, so maybe he _is _a wizard really interested in muggle items or a muggle-born who didn't want to leave one world for the other?

Best,

Harry

* * *

**Dear Harry,**

**Hey guys! We are in Egypt right now cuz we won the Grand Prize Galleon Draw** **and it's really hot here ****and we are visiting the pyramids!**

**Sorry I took so long to write back, apparently the delivery of your letters got lost twice before reaching me**

**George tried to shut Percy inside the Pyramid and mum spotted the whole thing it was a mess**

**Anyway, happy birthday Harry! Sorry I'm slightly late but I hope you like the gift Ginny and me picked. ****I tried to buy my own but mum said it was nice of Ginny to buy you something as well so here you go**

**It's kind of like a pocket version of our clock and you can write the names of the people you want in paper (with a lock of hair) and put it inside the small hands and always check if someone is in danger ****Oh I forgot that you don't know what our clock looks like It's a clock that tells the location of our family members**

**And the best thing is that mum charmed it for us so you don't have to do any magic! Hermione has been warning us about not using magic until we are of age so you only have to write the names and find a piece of hair (Like the polyjuice thing****, but at least you won't have to drink it this time!)**

**I'm planning to get the same thing to Hermione but her birthday won't be till next year so I might need to come up with an excuse that's not weird **

**That means we can track Cloud now even if he leaves Hogsmeade (I guess we still have to get his hair but that's for later) and you can always check on us if one of us is in trouble, right?**

**I won't be back until the 2nd week of August, so I can't check on Cloud or Hogsmeade, and I don't think Hermione can visit yet. And if your aunt is being nagging, then prolly she won't let you either.**

**Maybe we could ask someone who is living near? ****I should probably send a copy of this letter to Hermione as well without the details**

**Write to you soon,**

**Ron**

* * *

_Dear Harry, _

_Happy birthday! I hope you are having a blast! I hope you'll like your present! It's a set of colour-changing quills that never run out of ink. _

_I was thinking we could make an enchanted paper that will instantly show the written content on other papers, and write on them as an emergency channel. Letters take too long, and flare lights can be missed and are vague. I'm compiling a list of spells that we can use to create such a paper, and the idea of the pager regarding instant notices had me thinking. _

_With the sudden increase in Auror patrols and uncertainties in the papers, I thought this would come in handy, you know? Since we decided to not go to adults regarding our big problem regarding You-know-who and Cloud, I think we need a reliable way of communicating our status while being subtle. _

_The paper doesn't even have to be big, it could be a foldable piece of parchment that could easily fit into notebooks (or parchments) to disguise it as just another page of the book, and we could carry it everywhere without raising suspicions. _

_Anyway, the spells are ready but I need a few ingredients first, and we can find them in Snape's potion cabinet, so I can make them as soon as school starts. Leave it to me. _

_I've sent Ron a letter detailing about this as well, but he hasn't replied yet. Do you know anything? _

_And about keeping an eye on Cloud, I can't go to Hogsmeade until the 3rd week of August since that's when my parents are planning to visit Diagon Alley with me early to avoid the student rush. I could convince them to visit a wizarding village as a last side-vacation before school starts, but I'm not sure if the wizarding village allows muggles inside. I will get back to you after I check for more information! _  
_  
Happy birthday again, and hope you have an amazing day,_

_Hermione Granger _

* * *

Dear Hermione,

Thank you for your present! It is perfect.

Also, Ron is planning to give you a location clock, or something like that (apparently it can track the location of whoever you write your name and place a hair inside) so we can always check on each other, and also keep an eye out on Cloud even if we are far away!

Unfortunately, it needs a lock of hair of the person to work, so tracking Cloud is still out of the picture until we can get his hair.

Then again, I guess until we start school again we can't really move freely. We'll be allowed to go to Hogsmeade from now on, so hopefully it will get easier for all of us to investigate.

Also, your idea of instant messaging papers is brilliant!

Can't wait to see all of you again,

Harry

* * *

Dear Ron,

Did you have a nice trip?

Thank you for the location clock! It's wonderful. I also told Hermione that you were planning to give one to her, so you don't have to come up with a strange excuse now.

She is also planning to create an instant-messaging paper so we can send messages to each other right away, but she needs some items from the Snape's potion cabinet unfortunately, so won't be able to start right away.

I don't think there is anybody who lives near Hogsmeade who might be willing to check on Cloud for us, unfortunately. But we will be allowed to go to the weekend trips since we will be third years now, right? Hopefully it will make everything a bit easier to track.

Tell Ginny I said Happy birthday to her as well!

Best,

Harry

* * *

**Dear Hermione and Harry,**

**Still in Egypt and got to see the wizards here performing strange but cool magic! It's interesting how they don't use wands, so got me thinking, maybe Cloud practiced in Egypt where he learned to not use wands to use spells? Maybe that's why we haven't heard of him before cuz he was living in another flipping continent, maybe?**

**Also thanks but also why would you tell Hermione**

**I hope you like the clock Hermione! Ginny was dead set on us having her name in our clocks too, so you guys might have noticed that already.**

**And Ginny told me to tell you Thank you for your birthday greetings as well.**

**We got to see the sphinx in front of the pyramids, and apparently the muggles created the statue all by hand! Percy was snobbish saying that the muggles may have gotten the details of its face wrong, but I think it's awesome to see something this big and think it was made by hand. **

**Do you guys think the ancient muggles saw the creature and decided to commemorate it? Or do you think they employed wizards and witches in ancient Egypt? **

**I'm somewhat disappointed that I didn't get to see deadly scorpion fights Fred told me they were a thing here but I should have known better than to trust him**

**Miss you guys,**

**Ron**

* * *

_Dear Harry and Ron, _

_Thank you for the clock Ron. It's wonderful and very handy. By the way, everything is ready to make the paper as well! Just need to dip it in Strengthening potion to make it waterproof and fireproof, and hopefully, tear-resistant. _

_But Ron, seriously, you could try starting a new letter instead of just crossing over the words? _

_And maybe you are right as well regarding Cloud's location. I couldn't find anything that matches his description in 'Wizarding Family Trees of Olde', 'Historical Figures and such', 'Notable Wizards and Witches throughout Wizarding History', 'Current and Updated book of Names', 'Code Duello: Sword and Wand', and 'Remarkable Medi-witches throughout History'. The last one is more about witches than wizards, but I hoped to find anything related to Cloud's family or something. _

_But get this : I realized that most of the books we have is solely focused on European witches and wizard history, and not much regarding other wizarding communities in other countries! This is outrageous! What if somebody needed crucial information regarding the magic practices in Australia, for example? _

_I have written about this terrible oversight to the librarian, but I haven't received an answer yet. _

_My point is, if Cloud had been living in a different country for some time altogether, it makes sense nobody here knows anything about him. _

_And regarding your question, Ron, I know that Egypt has one of the longest histories regarding ancient civilization, so maybe it's not too far fetched to think that the Pharaoh employed wizards and witches. There are records of witch-doctors! _

_Too bad I can't find any more information about it from here. There is some serious lack of information in the wizard libraries! I'll probably have more luck in the public library of my neighborhood regarding Egypt. _

_I'm glad that you liked your present Harry! _

_See you guys soon, _

_Hermione Granger _

* * *

**Harry and Hermione,**

**Guys I read the papers this morning**

**Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban**

**Stay safe,**

**Ron**

* * *

a.n: Just imagine Harry, Ron, and Hermione writing the letters across weeks of July to the beginning of August.

There are a lot of hints in this chapter, and a lot of headcanons as well but that's given now.  
I love how in the movies Hermione is all "Oh, we shouldn't break any school laws" but also goes ahead and breaks them anyway going along with Ron and Harry's plans. I love her.

The kids are smart. And Hermione's instant message paper is an idea that literally occurred to me when all the happenings at the school are delivered to the student body and the teachers when somebody just stumbles across a problem (literally) and decides to start running and screaming ("Troll in the halls!"/The warning blood on the walls/cursed jewelry to students/etc)

When I was writing this chapter, I asked my potterhead sister, 'how do they write group letters like we do with group chat' and she told me in a deadpan voice, 'They don't. That's why they use letters.' and I was \\(0o0)/ So, Harry uses carbon copy of his letters to keep his friends in the loop while Ron uses doubling charm. (I can't find when they learn it, so just roll with me here). So, Hermione solves the whole 'gotta alert to someone' problem. Boom.

The next chapter is halfway written so hopefully it won't take me as long. *Crosses fingers*

edit: For clarification, mobile phones in the early 90s were almost non-existent (used by rich business people rarely)! Land-line phones were prominent and doctors used pagers to check on missed calls. So Cloud's PHS is a lot more advanced than anything seen in the 1990- based HP muggle/wizard world! The only thing that fits Ron's description of Cloud's PHS to Harry and Hermione is the pager lol

To the Guest reviewer: Thank you very much for your review! I'm glad that you are enjoying it so far, and hope you'll stick with this fic until its end!


	7. I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

Warning: This chapter is borderline M for _very_ disturbing imagery, disturbing thoughts, and descriptions of violence. Seriously, Tom deserves his own warning label. Not Cloud pov yet. Sorry. Don't own anything.

* * *

At the beginning, everything was _faded_.

The noise that the other kids at the orphanage made was background scratch. The bland concerns of the adults were smears in different faces that blurred together. The food he ate, the water he drank, _everything _seemed to be immaterial, just tasteless blocks that disintegrated on his tongue to fill an emptier stomach.

The one old scraggly radio that existed in the place droned on and on about the increasing unemployment rate, rise of suicides, number of strikes that didn't matter either. When the footsteps of prospective, _hopeful _parents that pervaded the entrance of the orphanage eventually stopped bouncing off the walls, he didn't care. When the food that was placed on the table petered out from actual meals to unsalted soup, or when the donation of second-hand clothes stopped being dropped off at the entrance, or when the expressions of the residents of the orphanage started becoming more withdrawn, he hardly blinked.

He lived in a plane different from the rest of the world. He was out of place in this strangely grey place, with the dull colors, dreary food, and grim people.

So when Billy Stubbs used his disgusting teeth and tongue to call him a 'freak', Tom didn't rise to the bait, and didn't draw back his fist to cuff him across his taunting mouth.

What he did was this: when Billy Stubbs with his dirty teeth and lying tongue were asleep, he silently padded downstairs, counting the steps he was taking to get to the door leading to the small, miserable garden. He took a detour into the kitchen to grab a small stub of a carrot and left his shoes inside the house before trekking outside, feeling the dampness of the mud after the early morning rain.

He approached the miserly cage in the corner, and lured the small creature inside to the door of the cage making sure his fingernails dug into the flesh of its ears when it was close enough to reach.

He _felt _the racing pulse of the wriggling tuft of fur, and he slowly grabbed its head and its body looking down at its beady eyes.

They stayed like that for minutes, staring at each other. One, powerless, helpless, and hopeless. The other, in control, dominant, forceful. The fast rhythm he felt under his fingertips reminded him that the thing was _afraid _.

As it should be.

The _crunch! _of bones made him smile.

He left the cold, limp, _dead _body hanging from the overhanging branch of the tree that shaded the cage, still feeling the rapid pulse in his hands. The spasm of muscle. The sudden silence after _death _.

He stopped before entering the house, slowly removed his drenched socks, and threw them into the trash chute knowing that the bin would be emptied today by the trash collectors a few hours later. Counted the number of steps taken to reach the door of his room, slowly lied on the bed, and allowed himself the luxury of a _real _smile blossoming on his face when he imagined the expression that Billy Stubbs would be wearing when he woke up to see the dead thing hanging from the tree.

The screams of the kids, the horror of the matron, the sharp snap of a bony fist on his face was _worth it _for the sheer devastation on the face of Billy Stubbs with his grimy teeth and lying tongue.

Pretending he was sorry was _not _.

The world continued to be _faded _, not quite there, and not quite real.

His discovery of the small snake in the bushes, talking to it and _understanding _it made it slightly more real. The _bang _! of the drawers opening and closing by themselves when he felt the pressure on his chest made it more bearable.

And the existence of _wizards _and magic bled colours into his faded world.

He learned about the history, the facts, the _magic _. Everyday he opened his eyes in the dim underground Common Slytherin room made him feel more _here _. More alive. More real. It couldn't be compared to the drab mornings of grey at Wool's.

But it was still incomplete. His world was still not quite _there _.

When he had found the Chamber of Secrets that _only _the heir to Salazar Slytherin could open, his world came into focus. The pressure in his chest when he realized _he _was the heir, the thrum of his heart when _he _was selected by his blood, the high in his head when he realized _he _was even more special than his wizarding peers could only be compared to when he had killed for the first time.

He remembered the unbidden thrill when he held Billy Stubb's wriggling thing, when he _felt _the life leaving its small body. When he realized he was holding something dead, and how easy it was to lure _death _into its body, just by twisting his hands.

So it was the natural order of things, when he let loose the glorious Basilisk into the halls of Hogwarts, just to see his world get fixed little by little, feeling the hum in his blood after another _unworthy _student got injured, watching the colours _bleed _profusely onto his once faded grey world.

He barely concealed his genuine smile creeping onto his lips when the grim faced professor announced that a student was _killed _. He could imagine the look of abject terror the poor, poor, unsuspecting student would have been wearing when he or she came to lock eyes to his beautiful basilisk.

He could taste it in his tongue, how the last shuttered breath of the unworthy left its lungs. He could _feel _the warmth of the body slowly but surely evaporating to make way to the stiff _cold _that would settle into the bones and muscles.

He could picture _death _slithering into the mouth of the student, locking the expression into open-mouthed fear that would never _end _, paralyzing it into that moment of eternal terror as life was chased away, just like the poor, unsuspecting creature he left hanging on the tree so long ago.

Tom _felt _his world shifting into focus, even if it was for a short moment of _relishing _the sensations that filled his chest, his hands, his mind.

So he gathered others who viewed the world as he did, those who wanted to see their brief moments of colour turning into reality. Those who saw who were worthy and weeded out those unworthy of this new world Tom was planning to create and bring to them.

He created himself anew, worthy for someone in his new oncoming world. Tom left behind his _muggle _name behind, and was reborn as Voldemort. His knights of the Walpurgis followed behind.

His plans to completely change the wizarding world were ready by the end of his school year, and only one thing remained: Preparing himself in case _death _came for him as well.

It wouldn't do for Lord Voldemort to _die _like the common unworthy, after all.

However, nothing in the books, or in his training prepared him for the excruciating pain that tore him apart, and for the sliver of a moment he was afraid this was _it _. His flesh was tearing, his blood was boiling, his head was splitting, his voice was warping, and something _fundamental _inside him was shattering, splintering, shrivelling.

Blinking awake, looking at his double self smiling was _worth it _.

The subsequent _years _of boredom that followed wasn't.

The analytical part of himself _knew _that this was the life as a horcrux, a fragment, a _shard _of what once he was.

But the _rest _of him seethed. He was Lord Voldemort, not a piece of fragment to be cast aside as a fail-safe, hidden, _forced _into the faded world that he would have no place in making anymore.

So the sudden enthusiasm of the girl, Ginny, was _very _welcome to break the monotony of his fragmented life. He felt _something _bubble in him, just like when he saw Billy Stubb's face draining of colour. Just like when he felt the furry creature becoming still in his hands. Just like when he imagined his basilisk leeching the life away from the poor, unworthy student.

And he wanted _more _.

When he had siphoned enough energy from the girl and had _stepped _into the world again, he felt the pressure in his chest again. He was whole, he was real again, he was Lord Voldemort _reborn _before his other self had cast him aside.

When he saw more unsuspecting, _unworthy _kids about to fall victim to his basilisk, and oh how he missed this wonderful creature, he felt the thrum of the anticipation rising in his blood.

This was _it _. The moment he would feel his faded world shape into focus, even if it was for a brief moment. The reward he was denied for _so long _living as nothing but part of the blur of the world he was apathetic for. The drips of colour that would make it more _real, real, real _.

But the blond swordsman ruined everything.

How _dare _he?

The sheer pain of having his container being destroyed by Ginny, and he would _remember _her, feeling himself _fragment _into the shard of _nothing _was the worst. He was Lord Voldemort, he would _see _the world fulfilled as his visions saw fit only for the worthy, his knights of Walpurgis would follow, and now he would be _consumed _by the very thing he inflicted on others, _death _, as nothing, as a _shard _of what could have been, as nothing, nothing, nothing, **nothing** **_nothing_**-

The pain leaving him as soon as it came was jarring. It was unexpected.

And the blond had caused it.

At that, he vowed to keep a closer eye on the stranger, taking advantage of the chaotic situation.

What he learned so far: the blond _radiated _magic. He didn't even need emotional energy to feed on like he did with Ginny, since the close proximity of the diary was enough to sap _magic _.

And the swordsman didn't even seem to notice.

He stopped relying on the diary's residual energy, and instead he could just take, and take, and take, and take from the unknowing blond, and could soon fully materialize into the world, just like he was before _fragmenting _, before becoming a remnant, before _everything. _

The touch of the prickly wooden branch, the cool breeze in the air, the sweet scent of summer, he had them _all _back.

There was a giddiness rising in his chest, that travelled up his throat and out to his mouth, and he realized it was _laughter _. It bubbled out from him like an endless fountain of poison, viscous, slow, and eternal.

After that, his decision to just trail after the blond became more his choice than an obligation.

He was no longer tethered to the diary, and if he wished so, he could just abandon it altogether.

But his initial wariness soon transformed into intrigue, and then _fascination _. The blond soon turned to be one of those _constants _that made his world shift into focus, but just two degrees to the left.

Not quite there, not quite _there _, but still close enough.

He amused himself catching the swordsman during unsuspecting moments trying to get a reaction, to see what made him tick, to get into his mind and take it apart, but irritatingly, the blond _held _.

Unlike his knights of Walpurgis, or the professors, or the students, or anybody in fact, Cloud wasn't charmed or swayed by his demeanor. He refused to truly place his trust in anyone, was extremely private to the point of paranoia, constantly checked his surroundings as if expecting an attack, and even had his sword within reach when going to sleep as well.

It was ridiculous. Maddening, and infuriating even.

However, the unexpected show of sheer _power _that Cloud Strife exhibited once in a while made _everything _worth it.

The blast of destruction that obliterated the spiders and the forest, the effortless and silent firestorm that rained on top of bottom-feeders who tried to rob them, the flicks of the sword that cut through muscle and bone as if they were nothing but air…

The blond swordsman cut a swathe of debris and ash through his adversaries as easy as spilling ink on a pristine white paper, transformed the action of deconstructing and obliterating into _art _into a tangible form and shape, and it was- it was- it _was-_

Enthralling.

He could easily imagine Cloud Strife _ending _the life of other human beings as easy as he commanded his nameless magic and wielded his sword, and he could taste something dark and sweet in his tongue, something like _victory _, if he considered the implications of that strength.

He could have had not only Britain, but the entire Europe, possibly the _world _eating out of his hands, prostrate at his feet, helping his world take focus into the definite version of what it _could be _.

He could be _Lord Voldemort _as he always imagined, not as a sixteen year old plotting with his followers, but as a _real, _tangible force that could take over the nightmares and dreams of the people of the world, restructuring _everything _into perfection.

Only if he showed the people how _easy _it was to him to take their lives, how glorious and beautiful _death _could be for the unworthy, how merciful and kind he could be to his faithful-

But not yet. Not _yet _.

He wasn't sure what happened to his other physical self after _he _had separated his soul into the diary, and after some light reading, he was… Disappointed.

His physical self had only reigned for ten short years, before being _killed _by a toddler.

_Him, _killed like the common cattle. Like the unworthy. Like a-

He was the _giver _of death, not the receiver, and the fact that his other self had gotten himself killed was disgusting.

That was _unacceptable _.

He would rise, and he would _not _fail like his other disappointing self, and he would _succeed _.

Getting back his knights of Walpurgis was unfortunately out of the question, since the world had _moved on _, but the pure lines persisted and he could easily manipulate the heirs, just like he did with their parents and grandparents.

The visit to the Malfoy Manor had been _very _interesting, just for the fact that Lucius Malfoy could recognize greatness and an opportunity when it presented itself. When the anagram of his name had finished changing into I AM LORD VOLDEMORT in front of the pureblood, he felt the dark curl of satisfaction seeing his white face turn paler, just into the shade of the corpses he could so easily craft.

The Malfoy had immediately crouched into a reverential bow, and he could see the hand of his follower trembling, fiercely clutching his walking cane like a safety line.

"My Lord, I-I wasn't aware you were back," the Malfoy had said hoarsely, all regal pretenses gone, and he had given him a small patient smile to the still prostrate man.

"I am he, but not quite, Lucius Malfoy." He circled the silent man, savouring the moment whenever the long haired Malfoy would try and stifle his twitch whenever his footsteps rang loudly around the marble floors.

"_ I _am Lord Voldemort before he became a _disgrace _," he seethed, " _I _am Lord Voldemort before he turned _cowardly." _

He stopped in front of Lucius Malfoy and leaned down, "_ I _am the real Lord Voldemort."

The sight of Lucius Malfoy trembling, _cowering, _in front of him settled something within, and for a moment he was taken back to Wool's Orphanage when he held the life of the creature of Billy Stubbs with his lying teeth, realizing _how powerful _he was compared to the beast.

How easy it would have been to coax life out of Lucius Malfoy's mouth, just like he had done so easily a lifetime ago.

"My Lord, I pledge my life, my soul, my _everything _to you, but please," a small breath, "grace my family with your benevolence. Show them mercy for my ignorance, my lord."

Lucius Malfoy had looked up when he had said those words, and he had a sliver of a mind to strike him dead for his insolence, but also he was _glad _that Lucius Malfoy had a mind of his own, and was smart enough to think.

He deliberated for a moment in purpose, just to see the one bead of sweat roll away on the man, and he nodded.

"Thank you, your gracious."

The man rose, still keeping his face downcast, and had asked, "If I may ask, who is the blond man?"

"He is with me."

"My lord?"

"He _will _be my envoy. You shall offer him something he won't refuse to make him stay." He would _make _Cloud Strife bend to his will, even if it took more patience than anybody else.

At that, the man had the _nerve _to look disbelieving for a second until his smooth countenance came back.

"It shall be done."

"Good."

"And Malfoy?"

"Yes, my Lord?"

"I require your wand," he held out his hand while the man eyed him apprehensively. "Mine unfortunately, is indisposed. So, I need yours."

The man shakily held over his cane, and he opened it to see the gleaming thing nestled inside the snake headpiece.

How fitting. A snake hidden amongst normalcy.

He immediately drew it out of its fake container, and aimed it at the marble statue behind Malfoy. "Bombarda!"

The bust exploded into shards of white and cream, and some nicked Lucius Malfoy drawing blood. But his interest wasn't in him, or how prettily the red flowed down his head staining his hair, or show _sharp _the world seemed in the moment.

No, this was more important: He could do magic.

He could _do _magic.

In this moment, right here, he was _real _.

Something loud and pleasant was ringing in the room around him, and he realized it was himself, _laughing. _It continued to bubble out of him, endless, endless, _endless _and he couldn't stop.

Lucius Malfoy looked downright frightened of him, clutching his bleeding head still sluggishly weeping blood, but that wasn't important.

He could do _magic _and he was truly corporeal now, not a shard, not a fragment, but _whole _and in control of himself.

He was _back _.

After that wonderful little conversation, Lucius Malfoy barely managed to clean his wound and all but _fleed _from his presence to talk to his wife. He wasn't sure what she saw, but they retired to have another discreet conversation, while he could only smirk to Cloud's inquisitive stare.

However, his giddiness turned into something sour when he realized the smaller Malfoy was with him again.

He wasn't sure _why _Cloud Strife continued to let the smaller pest hover around him, always interrupting and never doing anything important. The stupid kid just talked and talked about inconsequential things and Cloud just _listened _.

Still, the brat was worth having around just for the sheer fact that the blond was slightly more willing to talk when the smaller _child _was being annoying.

He imagined placing a silencing curse on the small Malfoy, see his eyes widening in alarm and fear when he realized his blabbering organ just disappearing from his pasty face, desperately scrabbling his short nails on his now empty patch of skin trying to find an opening that just didn't exist anymore.

His lips curled slightly.

Speaking of Malfoys, he remembered one Abraxas Malfoy refusing to join his knights of Walpurgis back when he had graciously offered him an opening. The oily snake had seemed tempted by the offer, but he had never answered to his call after his knights had been formed and kept his respectful distance throughout his years until he transferred away.

Maybe the entire Malfoy line was cursed with liars and traitors.

Lucius Malfoy came in with his wife at that moment, and _both _of them looked worried even if they masked it well, and that brought some of his giddiness back.

The next minutes of completely unexpected resistance of the blond did not. Why was he _so stubborn _?

And also, a medi-wizard? Did these fools not see the power dormant under the skin of the blond? They were going to waste his potential, focusing on _lives _when he could so easily invite _death _? The blond's healing abilities were beyond a doubt, out of this world, but that was different. Why would Cloud Strife focus on healing when it was obvious as the clear sky that he was far, _far _more skilled with destroying?

He saw _red _when he realized he couldn't stop the blond from taking the offer, and even more when he realized this would mean that he couldn't just erase the Malfoys without Cloud Strife moving away from him.

He was played.

None of his boiling anger showed in his face, he was too in control for that, but still it _irked _.

Technically, Lucius Malfoy _did _offer the blond an opportunity he wouldn't be able refuse, so he did do as he was told, but still. Curse the Malfoy line for their slyness.

What an unpleasant surprise.

He wanted Cloud Strife to stand by him, to become the sword to his wand that would bring the world to heel, make everything _perfect _.

But healing? _healing _?!

His mood plunged, and even after the Malfoys enchanted a piece of locket to become a portkey for Cloud, while the small pest continued to babble on, and on, and on regarding how exciting it was for everyone to have someone still versed in the ways of the wand and sword, how expensive the locket was, how reliable it was, and more.

Thankfully, the pest's talking eventually petered out after the admonishing stare of the elder Malfoy, and they were _hospitable _enough to lead them back to Hogsmeade.

He didn't refuse the offer for food when Cloud Strife started walking to the small shop with confident strides. But when the small Malfoy started practically _inhaling _the ice cream, he barely managed to stifle his grimace of disgust.

Seriously, this Malfoy had the blood but none of the class that the worthy should display.

He briefly entertained the idea of _not _allowing the Malfoy into the world he would create, but he dispelled it as soon as it came. He would need _all _the support from the people, if he wanted to see his vision yield fruit.

When Ginny Weasley and his brother came to interrupt, he was _almost _entertained. They were so easy to manipulate, so easy to trick, and so easily goaded into ridiculing themselves. He didn't care what happened in the Chamber of Secrets anymore. It wasn't important, and what happened to the basilisk was a surprising loss, but still necessary.

He met Cloud Strife after all.

But he would definitely _end _Ginny Weasley with his own hands, especially after she almost destroyed his vessel, but not today. Not today.

His thoughts stopped when he heard Cloud Strife ask, "What's a pure-blood?"

The man must have been joking. But his lack of change in his countenance meant that he truly was curious about it, and wasn't jesting at all. He didn't bother masking his incredulity this time, and was surprised to see that everybody around the table shared his expression.

It was easy to bait the pest and the Weasleys into another fight, and seeing the almost exasperated look on Cloud was worth it.

But the subsequent explanation was never, never, _ever _worth even considering.

At the beginning it was interesting, just for the sheer fact that it was a _different _way of seeing the world, one that was explained into the smallest levels instead of brushing it into just 'magic'. He was almost proud that he found Cloud Strife, with his strange ways and different eyes.

But the next thing?

Oh, he wanted to rip the soft tongue out of the blond's cheek, to make him silent _forever _, for thinking, for saying, and for _daring _to say that the worthy weren't different from muggles.

He wanted to pull the light out of the blond's eyes, blind him to everything except for the world that he would create, keep the tongue in a charmed box to always remind the swordsman and himself the occasion, to pull at the blond locks and break his legs to make him sink lower, lower, _lower. _

For denying the one thing that he was looking forward to, for refusing the entire reason he existed, for _daring_ to take away the one pleasure in his _faded _world.

But he doesn't do any of these.

What he does is this: He keeps his face wiped clean of any of the boiling anger he feels in his blood, he stands up, he leaves the cup.

And he walks away.

* * *

a.n: You guys don't want to know the amount of research I did into serial killers, psychopaths, and charismatic leader personality types to write this. Tom is 16 and a very, very problematic kid. Hope you noticed ahaha.  
Aaaand this marks this fic's end of the 1st arc. Woo! We continue on with Cloud next. (But don't expect it soon. I started working so... I might drop off for months and come back or who knows.  
Also, this is unpolished. I tried but I'm too tired ahahahahahahah. Please tell me if you find anything that sound wonky and stuff.

To the 2 guest reviewers: Thank you for reviewing! Also, the Geostigma guess is cool, but not quite on the mark. But nice guessing!


	8. Chapter 8

A.N: Don't own. Kind of a filler chapter. Hopefully it's not too boring!

* * *

There was a Dog.

If dogs were as big as Nibel Wolves, then it definitely deserved the distinction.

Cloud thanked Odin that Draco had returned home for the day, claiming that his vacation days were numbered and that his mother worried about him always being out. Cloud also didn't miss the reassured glint in 's eyes when the man realized that Cloud was alone with Draco when he had escorted the kid home. He didn't want to know what kind of things Tom had said to the Malfoy patriarch, but he would take his peaceful days whenever they came.

Tom had stormed off after that day and hadn't returned yet, but Cloud pushed away the sliver of concern.

The kid would be fine. He could summon serpents so he _definitely _wasn't defenceless, and Tom knew where he was staying so he could always find his way back. Nevermind that Tom had rented the room adjacent to Cloud's and had been living there since their first meeting. Cloud would pass the room by and knock to check if the kid had returned, but the place remained empty.

The dog growled.

Right. The Dog.

He crouched down on one knee, and tried to offer his closed hand to the animal to sniff. When the dog just continued to growl, Cloud sighed and retracted his hand.

"If I free you, promise me you won't go after my throat or something." _Not that you'd be successful _, Cloud added mentally, hoping that the beast was smart or _magic _enough to understand human speech.

And not surprisingly, the dog stopped growling and blinked up at him with pleading eyes. Magic dog, _of course _.

Cloud shuffled closer to the black dog, peering down to see the extent of its injuries. Its hind leg was bleeding out trapped inside an old hunting trap, its other leg was mangled into an awkward angle, definitely broken. The trap was old, and Cloud prepared his Restore materia praying that he would be fast enough to hold the broken leg before his hand was chewed off.

"Ready?"

The dog just continued to stare at him, and Cloud shook his head before prying open the rusted thing, and immediately cast a Cure1, holding the leg in place before the dog jostled it or ran away with a broken limb.

And right on time. The dog yelped in pain when Cloud grabbed the leg and immediately sank its teeth on Cloud's arm, but the blond ignored the flare of pain and focused on casting the second wave of Cure2. Hopefully he didn't get the bones to stick too spread out or fuse a sinew into the wrong place. The bright light of the magic made him wince a bit, and the dog let go of his arm in surprise to stare at its legs.

The legs seemed fine. The dog scrambled up and Cloud released his hand, and quickly retreated to give the dog its space. Getting bitten once was more than enough.

Despite his initial wariness, the dog started wagging its tail and barked at him once, and Cloud gave it a flat stare and briefly glanced at his bitten arm to make his point. The dog just whined once in response and Cloud snorted when he realized that he was trying to reason with a _dog _of all things.

A magical dog for sure, since it could definitely understand human speech, but still. A dog.

Cloud cast a Cure1 on his arm as well, watching the puncture wounds close into just pricks of pink skin and dusted his knee standing up.

Well, that was that, then.

"Oh, before I forget-" Cloud cast an Esuna on the dog, just in case the trap contained any kind of infectious disease. It wouldn't do for the dog to keel over and die, just because Cloud was careless with his patching job.

His work done, Cloud stretched his bitten arm once just to test it had healed properly, and started walking towards the direction of the town. He had seen it from afar, and it _definitely _wasn't a 'magical wizard' settlement like Hogsmeade so he thought it was worth checking out.

Side-detours into other villages gave AVALANCHE the advantage of knowing the territory better than Shinra. It wouldn't hurt to do some reconnaissance into other settlements that didn't share the same beliefs as the wizards'.

Cloud paused walking when he realized that the dog from before was following him. He looked back and the dog stopped in its tracks as well, wagging its tail and barking once.

"Are you going to follow me all the way into town?"

A bark.

He shrugged and resumed walking. Cloud could hear the rustle of the grass behind him as the dog continued to follow him through the prairie, and he narrowed his eyes at the distance where he could see the town. He looked back, trying to see how far he came from Hogsmeade and blinked when he realized he couldn't see the picturesque village anymore.

He wasn't walking for long, so he should have been able to spot the busy village but there was nothing on the horizon that remotely resembled the place. Just the verdant greens stretching for miles.

"What the…?"

The dog barked again, and Cloud stopped his musings to look at the dog. He crouched, making sure his sword wasn't digging into the dirt and asked, "I don't suppose you could help me find my way back to Hogsmeade?"

The dog just continued to wag its tail and lolled its tongue out.

"Right, I guess not." Cloud stood up and wished he had Cid's aerial support or the buggy at least. It would have made tracking the location so much easier.

He could shorten the trip duration if he were by himself using his SOLDIER speed, but with a canine companion, that was out of the picture. It would need food, sleep, and rest and Cloud could provide none of the requirements if he wanted to just run all the way to the non-magical settlement.

Cloud decided to use the remaining Tent. Even if its healing magic was almost gone, it would help the dog recover from fatigue or minor wounds from the possible trip.

"Hey, I'm planning to get to that town," he pointed at the distance, "at least in two days. Do you still want to follow me?"

The dog just cocked its head.

"You don't need to follow me. You are completely healed, and… I might not be able to give you the care you need." Cloud tried again, hoping that the spark of magic in the dog would be enough to be understood.

The black dog only continued to stare at him. Cloud sighed and just slumped his shoulders.

"Alright. Just… Don't bite or be threatening to the people of the town, okay? They might not be very lenient towards aggressive pets."

The dog growled at the last word, shaking its head, and Cloud contemplated another possible word that the dog wouldn't take offence. So, it didn't like to be designated as a 'pet', but Cloud couldn't keep calling it a 'black dog/dog/creature/wild thing'. And he couldn't stop other people's assumptions either.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to imply you were anybody's pet. But… you do realize that's what people might assume if you follow me, right? You can't just start growling if someone comes up to you and tries to pet you or something."

The dog huffed in amusement.

"Right, if that's fine, then I guess we can continue on." Cloud realized that he was talking to a magical dog, and resigned himself to the fact that his life was definitely _bizarre _, but at least he would have more tales to tell Denzel and Marlene when he returned.

They walked in silence, the heavy footsteps of his boots followed by the lighter pitter-patter of the paws, watching the sun gradually set lower into the horizon. The town was still a bit far away, but they had covered good distance throughout the day. Also, the closer they got to the town, the crisp air got gradually overlaid with the smoky tang of car and motor exhaust and the pungent traces of food.

"Hey, let's stop for the day." Cloud said, and the dog gladly flopped onto the floor, tiredly lolling its tongue out. He pulled out a packet of dried jerky from his pocket and poured some in front of the dog, and he started setting up the Tent before it got too dark.

The dog had finished its portion of jerky, and barked at him once with a questioning glint in its eye. Cloud cast a Restore on the dog and the Tent, hoping that it would prolong the restorative magic on the cloth, but unsurprisingly it was only the dog that looked more reinvigorated. Yuffie and Cid always grumbled about how Tents were "_ absolutely not cost effective! And sooo expensive to boot!" _and Cloud had to agree with them.

He sat down in front of the dog, pulling out his sword cleaning kit and started meticulously taking care of his Fusion Sword. The dog barked again, and Cloud looked up startling out of his quiet routine.

"Sorry. Got lost in my head for a moment," The dog wagged its tail and barked again. Even if it was a magic dog, Cloud couldn't shake the feeling that the dog was _too _well-behaved for a feral canine. Or maybe it had an owner, but escaped? Maybe it was abused.

Cloud checked the lock mechanism of his sword, and gently oiled the spring. "So, do you have a name?" he asked, giving the dog a brief glance before focusing on his sword again. The dog barked enthusiastically this time, and howled towards the night sky in a long, slightly mournful tone.

The sky?

"Is your name Sky?"

The dog shook its head, and howled towards the sky again.

"Night?"

Another head shake.

"Is your name…Cloud?"

The dog snorted. Cloud sighed in relief. It would have been awkward to share a name with a magic dog, anyway. He looked up to the sky, to find something he hadn't named so far.

"Star?"

The dog contemplated for a moment, and it whined and slumped in defeat, weakly nodding. He… wasn't expecting that, so he blinked.

"Your name is Star?"

Well. Maybe the dog's owner had been an unimaginative child. And Cloud couldn't really compare names when his own name was _Cloud _.

"I'm Cloud."

The dog _definitely _snorted in laughter now.

* * *

The town was quiet and peaceful, and certainly non-magic. It reminded Cloud of Mideel without its humidity actually, with its white walled houses and somewhat elderly population.

Star curiously looked at the people, and Cloud looked around trying to find a bar or a dog-friendly inn. Some people stared at his sword and whispered to each other, but Cloud ignored the attention by trying to act nonchalant. People from Edge always stared, and this was no different, even if it made him uncomfortable to be out in the open.

"Oh! _Oh! _Hey! Mister! Over here!"

Cloud turned to where the painfully young voice had come from, and he saw a _tiny _kid with mousy hair reminiscent of Denzel, with a bright, excited smile holding a positively _ancient _camera in his hands.

The kid quickly bounded over where he was, and Cloud gave a warning glance to Star when the dog bristled in wariness.

"Wait! Are you Mr. Cloud by any chance? You know, the man who saved Harry Potter and others from the Chamber of Secrets- oh wait," the kid lowered his voice, "_ the Chamber of Secrets and destroyed a tower in Hogwarts?" _

What?

When Cloud didn't reply, the kid continued to whisper excitedly.

"Everybody in Hogwarts was talking about it you see, and I couldn't help but to overhear _the _Harry Potter talking about what happened in the Chamber to his friends, and I was really curious to know what exactly happened, but unfortunately the only things people said was that you had a huge sword and had a super spiky blond hair," The kid breathed in for a moment before continuing, "and I was so sad to hear that you were no longer in Hogwarts, but I can't believe you are in the same town as my grandma! Can I take a picture?"

Star growled again, and the kid seemed to realize there was a _big _dog and paled a little bit, taking a step backwards.

"Uh, that's a big dog, mister, haha. C-can you tell it to not bite? I'm allergic to dog bites, and uh, my grandma might not take it well when I go back home with a huge swelling face, and, y'know?"

Star seemed to growl at the _camera _specifically, not the kid, so he gently placed a hand on the kid's camera and lowered it.

"I don't think Star likes your camera. Just put it away and you'll be fine." The kid looked frightened and slightly dubious for a moment, but he hung the camera to his neck and gulped. When he realized the dog had stopped growling after he let go of his device, the kid asked incredulously, "Wait, you named that gigantic dog, _Star _?"

Cloud shrugged. "Not my dog."

The kid looked at him disbelievingly, but his doubt soon morphed into childish excitement again when he took notice of First Tsurugi.

"Blimey! Is that a _real _sword? Can I get a closer look? Oh, _wow _!"

Cloud pulled away, absolutely not willing to let the kid cut himself up with his sword. At the kid's muted disappointment, he offered, "I'll let you take a picture of it if you can point us to the closest bar or inn that allows dogs inside. Deal?"

He was tired, and so was Star. The Tent had lost all of its magic after the first day, so Cloud had to cast Regen on them when they camped for the night. The magic kept them from getting any injuries and staved off the fatigue, but magic could never replace a good night's rest.

The kid nodded enthusiastically, and chirped, "Deal!"

He seemed eager to press the button on his camera but kept his hands away from the device since Star growled threateningly whenever the kid's hands strayed too close, and Cloud kept an eye out on their surroundings.

The town was quiet, but there was _something _not quite right with the silence, and Cloud would take no chances.

The mousy kid led them through a set of serpentine side roads, and further away from the village into a small isolated cottage among the greenery. The only thing that showed this was an inn was the dilapidated 'Bed and Breakfast' sign hanging off the roof, and the ancient 'Welcome' sign that had all of its lettering paint peeled off due to the weather.

The kid enthusiastically opened the door and bellowed, "Grandma! You have guests!"

When Cloud raised an eyebrow at the kid, he only gave him an unabashed grin.

"Welcome to my grandma's inn! Dogs are _definitely _allowed, and the breakfast is to die for!"

The kid looked back at the stairs where a pudgy old lady was slowly coming to greet them and screamed again, "Gran! We can have dogs again right? I brought you a guest!"

When the lady asked, "Huh?" the kid turned to Cloud and gave him another brilliant grin.

"See? Dogs are allowed!"

* * *

"What issss the meaning of this?"

Everybody gathered around stiffened at the cold, harsh voice of their master. Or, the echo of what the powerful, proud wizard had been.

"We, we still aren't certain, my sire." One answered, trying to keep a respectful distance from the wraith attached to another Death Eater to feed on his energy.

When the air grew oppressive by the mounting anger of their lord, another hunched follower stuttered out, "Bu-But we heard reports of what happened, my lord. The skies raged, the entire forest disappeared under the blinding light, and it all points to a figure Dumbledore has been trying to hide or track down, sire."

Another painful breath. "Isss that so?"

"Yes, my lord. And there are rumors, sire. There are talks about an unkillable wizard, following the old ways of wand and sword, who commands both unseen and unspoken."

Some Death Eaters shifted uneasily at the silence that followed. Those who were more disciplined held their ground, but the stiffness of their shoulders gave them away while their Dark Lord contemplated.

"Why have I not heard of thisss before?"

More stifled silence until one braved out, "It is a very recent development, my lord. And the occurrences are focused only around Hogwarts and the villages around the school."

Another ragged breath, and a hiss that didn't belong to the dead nor the alive was the answer.

"And what of my other dutiful followers? Why have failed to uphold my trussst?"

Nobody dared to open their mouth. Nobody to voice their thoughts, their doubts, their enmity. The wind moaned through the Albanian woods and the ominous creaks of the twisted branches were the only replies to the dangerous question.

One of his faithful finally answered, "Many… still believe that you have perished, my lord. They might refuse to see or even consider other… developments."

The cold of the night increased, and the Death Eaters averted their eyes as the wrath of their master increased by the lack of faith of those he deemed most faithful. If their lord had been at the peak of his power, none of them would have dared to turn their backs to their only master. It was imperative the Dark Lord found his strength again, for he only could lead the future of the wizarding kin.

At last, the Lord commanded, "Ssend my mark. Let _everyone _know that I _will _and have risen again."

Surprises and stifled gasps broke out, until the followers stood straighter, dark resolve glittering in their eyes behind their masks like coals burning inside their furnaces. The woods were quiet, and not a soul dared to interrupt the atmosphere.

Finally, after what seemed like eons, their Lord hissed again, "And bring me the wizard. Ussse whatever means necessary. I _want _him."

The hooded followers bowed one by one, disappearing from the forest with a resounding _crack! _in the air.

Only the night heard the sibilant, "I have been bessted by luck and chance. But no more. The boy will fall and the pure-bloods shall rise. Disgusting creatures will fall and only the worthy shall wake to the morning."

The winds moaned again.

"I shall _see _to it."

* * *

A.N: Hello I'm back alive! Sorry about the disappearance. I had bits and bobs written but I could never get enough time to actually sit down and write. The chapter is shorter than usual, but I was afraid that it might take even longer to update this fic if I wanted it to be the usual length, so... And I tried my best at editing, but it was a rush job so there might be typos and errors. Please let me know!

And this marks the start of the second arc! Whooo! Guess who is the kid.

Next chapter: Action, more misunderstandings, stuff happens. The usual, haha. Hopefully it won't take me 2 months to write.

A huge thank you to everyone who left a review, added to favorites, or followed this fic! I'm sorry I've been so slow to reply.

To Guest Reviewer: Thank you for the long review! Haha only time will tell if Cloud will help or hinder Tom ;). Yes, Cloud remembers his forays into the Smash and Dissidia games lol. But no other FF characters will make an appearance. It's a Cloud-centric fic, after all. Thank you again for the review!


	9. Chapter 9

A.n: Don't own. Also, there is a minor OC just for the story's sake. Not very important so don't worry.

* * *

Dinner was an interesting affair. The kid, -_Call me Colin!- _was living with his grandmother for this summer and was trying to get a part time job at the local village newspaper, was a fan of Harry Potter, and loved magic.

As Colin enthusiastically narrated his life, his grandmother, -_Call me Ava, son-_ shared a fond look with Cloud and he gave her a small smile. After that boisterous introduction in front of the house, Ava had insisted they get dinner to get to know his grandchild's friends better.

Star had fallen asleep in front of the unlit fireplace, and Cloud couldn't refuse the elderly lady even if he wanted to. Not with Colin's earnest smiles and the knowing glint in Ava's eyes.

Something in this place reminded Cloud of the ramshakle house of his mother in Nibelheim, and even if he couldn't remember her mother's face or his childhood home very well, he imagined it would have been something like this. Old, but comforting.

"Mr. Cloud! You _have _to tell me! Is it real that destroyed an entire forest? The rumors keep changing, so I can't tell for sure, but they all talk about the absolute _white _blast that completely-"

"Colin! Manners," Ava interrupted the excited kid, trying to give him a stern glare and failing, if the slight smile tugging at her lips was any indication. Colin just gave an unapologetic smile.

"Sorry gran! But really, this is bigger, so, _so _much bigger than expected!" He waved his cutlery in the air, and sent the food flying in all directions. When the grandmother's glare turned serious, he gave a sheepish, "Oops. I'll clean it up! Stay put, gran! And you too, Mr. Cloud!"

Colin stood up and ran to the small kitchen at the back of the dining room, and came back with a napkin and started wiping away the mess. "So, anyway. What brings you to this town, Mr. Cloud? I thought you'd be working for Hogwarts or, or, as a monster hunter! Gran! Are monster hunters still a thing? Like in those old stories you told me before?"

"Slow down, Colin," Ava chided, carefully dipping the bread into the soup.

Colin finished in a flurry and sat down loudly on his chair again, hurriedly continuing with his food. "I'm done, gran! Anyway, if that's not your dog, whose dog is it? Oh! And did you meet Sirius Black during your travels, by any chance? Did you get to duel him? _Wow_, that might be awesome, if slightly scary!"

Cloud blinked at the onslaught of questions from the kid, and gave him a small shake of his head, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. This kid seriously reminded him of Denzel with his curiosity, if a bit more excitable.

"Sorry. I don't know who that is, so no scary duels to tell you about. And the dog is just... following me. I found him caught in a hunting trap, so I healed him."

"Oof, there are some nasty people out there, leaving traps wherever they want! Why, even last week something was screaming bloody murder! They've gone all quiet now, but you never know," Ava huffed, straightening her apron.

Colin nodded frantically, "I know, right? I heard that there were rumors of a strange sickness or something, and apparently some weird folks think that the blood of the animals can cure you or something!"

"Where did you hear that?" Cloud asked, alarmed. The lifestream didn't work here, so it couldn't be geostigma. But if it was a dangerous disease, he would nip it in the bud before it turned into something _ugly_.

However, Colin just shrugged. "I dunno. I heard some people talking about it."

Darn.

"Well, enough of this dreary talk, my dears. I'll clean up here, go wash yourselves and be comfortable!" Ava gently started picking up the finished dishes, and Cloud helped her gather the cutlery. She gave him a toothy smile, but shook her head, gesturing at the stairs leading to the rooms.

"I'm the owner of the inn, my boy! And don't forget your dog! The nights get slightly windy, so it might be a mite uncomfortable for your furry companion," She tutted, looking at the dog that lazily blinked an eye open.

"Thank you," Cloud said, and followed Colin who was trying to hold back an excited grin and bouncing slightly in his place by the stairway. When Cloud looked at the kid, Colin exclaimed, "C'mon! I'll show you the rooms! You can pick one!" and dashed upstairs.

"Go on, dear" Ava called out, and Cloud nodded once before he made his way upstairs as well. He heard Star scuffle behind him and follow him.

The 2nd floor was crowded with dried flowers hanging on the walls, wooden decorations and knickknacks on the shelves, and small doors interspersed in between the mess. Star sneezed once at the dust motes floating lazily under the yellowed lamp light, and Cloud smiled slightly at the dog's annoyed expression.

"Hey, here! You can choose! Sorry about the mess, though. I keep forgetting to clean up, even though Gran keeps reminding me, haha. Uh, I'll clean up tomorrow!" Colin said, poking his head out from one of the doors and laughing sheepishly.

Star gave the kid an unimpressed stare, before it snorted once again and entered the closest door decorated with paw print quilts. Colin snickered, his initial fear of the dog gone or forgotten, and Cloud felt another smile tugging at his lips.

"Good night Colin." Cloud softly said by the door, and the kid gave him a cheery wave back before he switched off the lights of the hall.

* * *

_It was a bad night. _

_They had decided to return to Nibelheim to tie up some loose ends, and the entire journey had been miserable and cold for everybody in the party._

_The entire mountain range had been hit with a particularly nasty snowstorm, and the Highwind hadn't been able to cross through the storm so they had to double back from the south and make the trip on foot._

_The tents were bad protection against the slowly decreasing temperatures, and the caves they managed to scout had been filled with hungry beasts that weren't interested in sharing the space with potential _food.

_They were taking shelter at a dried up ravine that thankfully shielded most of the wind, and the spluttering campfire wasn't big enough to provide warmth but at least it gave off light._

_Everybody was exhausted, the long trek through the cold and height having long sapped most of the energy, and they huddled with each other to share the meager body heat._

"_Whyyyyyyy did we decide to come to this cold and dreary place again? It's co-colder than Shiva's snap, and is more miserable than Death's presence! Ugh!" Yuffie whined, with a nasally voice turned an octave higher with the cold and the runny nose. _

_Cid murmured something unkind under his breath burrowing himself deeper into the shabby blanket, and Nanaki snorted in response. It was Vincent who finally answered the ninja with a quiet, "There are some rumors of undiscovered materia in the cave systems. We may have skipped a few in our last visit here."_

_That shook Yuffie out of her misery. "Materia? Seriously? Why didn't you say anything sooner?!" Yuffie jumped out of her blanked before she shivered and burrowed herself back in between Nanaki and Barret. She sniffled once with as much dignity as she could muster and violently blowed her nose that had Barret grimacing, and whined, "We could have totally gone before this horrid storm! Why didn't you warn us before, Vincent? You just wanted to see me suffer, didn't'cha?"_

_Vincent remained silent, _definitely _hiding a smile behind his high collar. Barret, grumpy and tired of the journey, grumbled, "Ain't nothing to get worked up 'bout. We go in, we find the thing, and we bounce as fast as a Choboco on gysahl greens. Yeah? Not stayin' long enough to see another of those creepy hooded figures!" _

_That had brought the mood down, and Yuffie pouted. "Fine, you big grump! If I find the materia, which I will since I'm the awesomest ninja in the continent, I'll just gloat when you realize you'll return empty handed, cold, and miserable!"_

"_I ain't no-"_

_Nanaki flicked his tail once, effectively bumping it on both Yuffie's and Barret's backs. _

"_This quarrel can continue tomorrow, after we are more rested. Now, we sleep." The red cat rumbled, and yawned once after he finished._

_Both Yuffie and Barret grumbled something but soon started snoring softly, and the rest followed suit soon after. Vincent silently glided next to him, his pointed shoes never making a sound on the surface. After a beat, he asked, "Do you think we'll finish the journey we've set ourselves on?"_

"_What do you mean?" Cloud asked back, staring at the colourful arrays of materia linked in his bracer. His mood had turned dark after what Barret had said, and guilt gnawed in his gut like an insistent beast. This was all his fault, and he wouldn't fault anybody in the group for blaming him for the black materia, for Aeri-_

"_... We are planning to stop an almost divine being who is trying to end the Planet's life. We don't have any help, except for our own, Shinra is hunting us, and the population's sentiments work against us. We might not even make it until the end, before we meet an early death."_

_Vincent fell silent, letting the words sink in before he continued, "I joined in your crusade because I know that even if my life ends before its time, I will rest knowing that I have at least seen the creature Sephiroth has become."_

_Cloud heard the unspoken question, -But will you? Can I count that you will see this finished? Is there fight left in you to see this end? Is there? Is there?-_

_He re-tightened the bracer around his wrist and gave Vincent a sharp nod._

"_No matter what happens, we'll all survive. But if-"_

_-If I lose myself, if I lose my mind, if I stop being Cloud Strife again-_

"_Will you do it?"_

_-Will you pull the trigger for me? Continue and finish Sephiroth in my stead? Put me down before I can see the horrified faces of everyone? Will you blame me as well? I am sorry-_

_Vincent stared at him, red eyes piercing with their intensity, and Cloud refused to look away._

"_...No."_

_Cloud felt disappointment and resignation pull at him like a tidal wave, and had to turn his head to prevent Vincent from seeing the self-hatred probably burning in his eyes. But the gunman's next words made him blink._

"_I'm not refusing because I don't want your blood on my hands. My hands are tainted as they are. Just like your conviction on seeing all of us live, we believe that you won't lose yourself again. So you needn't worry about it."_

_Vincent's words were unexpected, very needed, and they cut through Cloud's dark thoughts like a ray of 's gaze snapped up to Vincent's, and the gunslinger only gave him a tiny nod of his head as an acknowledgement. Gratitude bloomed inside him, and Cloud found himself struggling to express the sudden onset of warmth. _

_At last, Cloud found his voice to say, "... Thank you, Vincent."_

_Vincent just tilted his head downwards, giving him a smaller nod. Then he looked to the sky that was slowly clearing, with the winds dying down._

"You should wake up, now."

Cloud blinked.

"What?"

Vincent grabbed his shoulders, -_why did his clawed hand feel like an actual hand?- _and repeated, "Mr. Cloud. Mr. Cloud!"

"Vincent?"

"Wake up, Mr. Cloud!"

Cloud jolted violently from his sleep, and almost reached to his sword until he realized he was staring at a frightened kid -_Colin, Colin, Colin- _and the beast, - _Not beast, the dog. Star_\- by the door.

"I-" -_Almost took your head off,- _Cloud swallowed down, and ran a hand through his hair, feeling haggard. He asked instead, "What are you doing here?"

The kid still looked frightened, and the dog nudged his leg to ground him. Colin hesitantly pat the dog on its head, and took a deep breath.

" , there is something you need to see... Or, well. There is something you need to hear."

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to will his sleep-headache down, and when he was certain the pounding in his temple was at least manageable, he stood up and sheathed First Tsurugi propped next to the bed.

"C'mon, lead the way."

Colin offered a shaky nod, and started tip-toeing down the stairs in order to not wake Ava. He had his camera with him dangling from the neck strap even in this ridiculous hour, and Cloud had to commend the kid for his determination.

The kid whispered, "I leave my windows open at night because I like to see the small forest behind our house, and tonight was no different, and, and, I was about to go to sleep! I swear! But then somebody _screamed_." He fiddled with the camera as a nervous gesture, and Star tensed behind Cloud. When Colin noticed the dog, he let go of the camera and gave the dog an apologetic expression.

"Sorry, Star. A-Anyway, I decided to take a look out, because I might have to use the landline to call the police, but our phone doesn't work often, so I was afraid I might have to go out and find a phonebooth, but then there were these _screams_ that continued on and on, and I thought it might be best if you came to see, since you are a monster hunter, right ?"

Colin didn't look back to see if Cloud had nodded to his question, and continued. "Gran said that there were some people leaving traps for animals this evening, or, yesterday's evening, at any rate, and I thought it _could _be an animal, but the screams sounded too..."

"Human." Cloud finished for Colin, and the kid nodded. "Did the screams continue?" He asked, disturbed by the fact that he had been _too lost in his mind _to not have heard screaming. What was _wrong _with him? Ever since he set foot here, he had been too distracted. He had to focus.

"The screams suddenly stopped. That's why I came to get you, Mr. Cloud."

Cloud stilled. Screams of local wildlife abruptly stopping was _never_ a good sign, and if the screams had been from a non-animal entity, then it might be too late.

The kid opened the door slowly, making sure the bell wouldn't tinkle loudly announcing their exit, and shivered by the night wind.

"Brr! Should have brought my blanket-"

A terrible scream rend the air, and everybody froze in their spots.

The sound had come from the main district where Cloud and Star had met Colin.

Cloud lightly grabbed Colin's shoulder to steady the kid, and murmured, "Stay here with your grandmother. I'll go and see. Star will stay with you, so you'll be protected, okay?"

Colin nodded, fear written in his eyes, and Cloud gave the kid another reassuring squeeze. Then he looked at the dog who was lowly growling while staring at the direction where the scream had come from, and asked, "Star, I'll go and investigate, but I need you here looking after the kid. Could you help me?"

The dog nodded, _-definitely an intelligent dog- _and trotted closer to the kid to grab his pant sleeve and lightly tug him back into the house. Star looked back, and his gaze said "_If you don't come back before the day clears, I'm definitely coming after you" _so Cloud nodded back in understanding.

Cloud unclipped a smaller blade from his Fusion Sword, and leaped up to the roof of the house and jumped away into the main district.

He thought he heard Colin's scared voice saying, "His eyes were _glowing. _Did you see that Star? Oh, wait. Dogs are colour-blind... But for a second I thought he was going to chop my hand off for waking him! That was scary..."

* * *

The source of the screams wasn't too hard to find. He only had to follow the broken glasses and drops of blood leading to one of the bars. Nobody came to see what the hubbub was about, and the entire street was deserted.

And there was a gigantic skull floating in the sky, a serpent slithering in and out of its mouth casting the entire building in an eerie light.

What the...?

Cloud cautiously walked to the front of the vandalized bar entrance, making sure his footsteps were light and didn't make a sound stepping on broken glass. The entire block's electricity was out, plunging the place into darkness, and he wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of ambush set up.

Was it some drunk hooligans who decided to loot and trash the place, and pick on curious onlookers as some form of twisted entertainment?

A bar fight gone too far, including a strange firework that didn't disappear?

An armed robbery?

None of them explained the screams, and if Ava's account of 'animals screaming' was also tied to what Colin heard, then something was going on for longer than expected.

Cloud stopped in his tracks when he saw the first body slumped on the floor. He sheathed the sword and immediately turned the body to check for a pulse, and found none. The body was still warm but there was no hearbeat, and Cloud didn't waste any time before warming his Revive and checking if the man had any broken bones or injuries he should heal as well before casting Life.

There were no wounds, no evidence of a fight, no nothing.

He stopped his search when he looked up and realized that there were _numerous _bodies across the tables, slumped in chairs, and over the counter.

The body was still warm, so Cloud still had time before he needed to cast Life, so he left the body he was checking to survey another body.

Again, the body was warm but it contained no heartbeat. No visible injuries either.

So was the next body.

And the next.

And the next.

And the next.

What happened here?

Cloud gently grabbed the bodies and lay them on the floor, making sure none of the debris and broken window fragments were close to them. The bodies were cooling, so he would have to hurry.

He linked the All materia with Revive in his bracer, and gave the bodies one last lookover before he cast Life1 on them. If he brought them completely healed to life, then it would be hard to explain to the authorities -if they arrived-, but if the Life spell was too weak then he would fail to reanimate the fallen.

At least, none of them had critical injuries so Cloud put just enough magic into the spell to bring them back without a violent jolt. Immediate resurrection was useful for fallen comrades in battle, but not so good for civilians after all.

The materia grew warm, and the spell blossomed into light, faint sparkles and plumes of Phoenix Downs briefly materializing and sinking into the bodies.

The warmth of the red glow falling from the sky and touching the prone bodies was the only source of illumation, and Cloud stopped the spell when he noticed the first rise and fall of the chest of the bartentender. Just in case, Cloud checked the pulse of the man, and bit back a sigh of relief when he found it beating.

He was about to check on the rest of the people when he heard the rustle of cloth right outside.

Cloud cast a quick glance at the rest of the people, trying to see if there was somebody who didn't make it back, but he found his attention torn between the battle-awareness and the need to finish diagnosing the rest.

Another rustle.

He cast the smallest Regen to the remaining people, hoping that it would be enough to slowly restore their energy, and cautiously made his way back to the entrance.

When three figures suddenly appeared out of the air with a _crack!,_ Cloud immediately drew his smaller blade to reflect one of the colorful bolts of light that a figure had cast.

"Wait! We need him alive!" One of the figures hissed at the other, and Cloud readjusted his grip on the blade silently assessing the strange figures. They were all wearing dark robes and a skull-shaped mask on their heads concealing their identity, and all of them had their wands out, held threateningly like a particularly sharp piece of stick.

Wizards, then.

Cloud didn't remember anybody so far who had been wearing a get-up similar to these ones, so maybe they were part of a cult?

"Who are you?"

At his question the figures quieted, and one of them -_probably the leader-_ gave him a lopsided grin that looked ill-fitting with the eerie mask, lowering his wand.

"Our names are unimportant." The masked man said, gesturing loftily with one of his hands. "But our master wants to meet you."

Cloud didn't lower his sword. "Not interested."

The ugly smile on the leader's face fell off, replaced by a derisive sneer. "Your interest is unimportant. You shall be accompanying us, and you will be grateful!"

At his shout, the rest of the figures disappeared with another _crack!_ And the leader screamed, "Sectumsempra!"

Cloud sidestepped the blast of invisible air, unwilling to get caught in an unknown magic, and leaped at the figure who retreated by disappearing and appearing just a few distances away from the reach of his sword. The deserted streets were a blessing in disguise in this case, since there was nobody to witness the fight going down, but also it meant that people _knew _something was going on and they hadn't done anything yet.

He deflected another blast of magic, putting in a burst of speed in his next slash, trying to catch the man who kept darting in and out sight without maiming him, but it was hard.

The flashes of magic that the figure cast were painfully bright in the dark of the night, and Cloud cursed when he saw that the two figures had reappeared inside where the recently healed patients were still recovering.

"These muggles are alive! I thought you used the curse to finish these mutts!"

Cloud separated his sword and threw the smaller blade into the wall, and the scream of pain from one of the masked figures answered his question regarding his accuracy.

"My arm! Help me, Avery!"

"Shut up! I'm trying!"

He saw the leader appear on his right, lips twisted in an ugly snarl, and Cloud drove the pommel of his sword to his gut earning him a pained grunt. He opened his mouth to say something, but Cloud was already slashing through the wand and giving the man another painful bash in the head.

The man crumpled to the ground, and Cloud kicked the split wand from his limp hands, unwilling to let him cast another spell.

The _crack!_ In the air warned him of one of the other masked figures and he pivoted on his foot kick out whoever had appeared close, but the figure still blinked out of existence to dodge.

Wizards and their... What was the name? Oh, right. Apparating.

It was really annoying.

Thankfully he didn't need to cast Wall or Reflect since their magic seemed very one-directional and they were easy enough to dodge. The second figure shot an array of differently coloured spells, and Cloud weaved left, down, right, and jumped to avoid them.

The figure's mouth opened in incredulity when he saw Cloud coming down right from above, and when he was about to apparate away, he was immediately flattened by a sudden onset of gravity.

Cloud landed right next to the flattened figure, stomped on the wand to break the twig, and held the sword to the figure's back, stopping the Demi spell.

"Who sent you?"

The man ground out through gritted teeth, "His name is too eminent to be spoken by the likes of-"

Cloud put a little bit more force when he poked the back of the man with First Tsurugi.

"Try again."

He saw the last masked figure hurriedly coming out of the store, clutching at a bloodied arm with a pained grimace on their face just to halt hesitantly when they noticed where Cloud was pointing his sword.

The man underneath him only coughed, "Won't you consider our offer? The Lord compensates those who serve him really well. You needn't ally yourself with these... _filthy_ muggles and half-breeds."

"Again, not interes-"

"Think about it. We shall be waiting for your answer."

They disappeared with another loud _crack. _When Cloud looked back, he saw that the injured one had taken their leader he had incapacitated and had disappeared as well, and sighed.

So, the wizards didn't need their wands to apparate. He would have to remember that next time he came across with these cultists. And the name, -Avery?- sounded important as well.

And the crux of the matter: There was a strange cult of wizards running around, apparently killing non magical humans, who served a strange master with almost religious fervor, that wanted _him _for some nefarious cultic purpose, on top of a Wizard who wanted to plunge the wizarding world into war.

Maybe they were serving the same Dark Lord, but were different factions? Dumbledore hadn't given him any details regarding the war, so he was taking a wild stab here.

When he looked up, the skull in the sky had faded somewhat, but it still loomed ominously in the dark sky.

He could bet all of his materia that the 'strange' sickness going around was the deed of the cult as well. Cloud wasn't sure what the symptoms of this sickness were, but he was certain it would be similar to those he found on the people of the bar here, if the snippet of converstation between the two cultists was true.

Probably the sickness was artificially created by these cultists as well.

A deep race/ability divide between the wizards, a past and possibly ongoing war that scarred the society, a strange cult and its symbol, a sickness spreading possibly by the very wizards, and hints of a vague yet threatening prophecy.

And it all connected to a Dark Wizard who might or might not even be alive.

Cloud sighed. The magnitude of the problem seemed to get bigger and bigger, yet he wasn't any closer to finding any leads regarding this dark wizard. In fact, he only realized how _big _and _messy _this entire thing was turning out to be.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. He had to check back on the patients he left behind in the bar, pick up one of his blades, and get back to Colin and Star, so he could sit and think about all of this later.

When he took a step back to the bar, a blinding flash had him wincing in the dark. And when the spots in his eyes cleared, he noticed a certain mousy-haired kid and a familiar black dog across the street. Cloud closed his eyes, exasperation and relief clashing in his gut.

Exasperation won out.

"Colin!"

The kid hunched his shoulders guiltily, but his brilliant grin was visible even at this distance.

"Sorry! Sorry! But that was seriously awesome!"

* * *

A.n: Here is the next chapter! I seriously love Colin, but I was sad to learn that he was a minor character. So we'll see more of him than the movies!  
And this fight scene. Ugh. It's horrid, so I apologize for the quality. I rewatched the fight scenes of HP movies to see how they panned out, and it's usually, 'someone shoots a spell. It either hits or misses, and the wizard shoots back. They apparate back and forth or run to dodge.' So... I tried to emulate it but I feel it falls flat. I'm trying to find a better way of making the wizard fight (?) scenes flow better, but I don't think I've found it yet. Will keep trying though. haha

I love and appreciate every one of the reviews! I know I'm terribly slow at replying to them, but please know that I cherish each and every one of them! So thank you all of you who commented, favorited, or followed this fic! You guys are the reason I can keep writing this fic! Thank youuu


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